Latest UK M&A Stats for Q1-26
The UK Office for National Statistics have just released their latest statistics for Q1-26. Below is the update on Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) involving UK companies for Q1 2026, during the period January to March 2026.
Please note that these include only transactions that result in a change of ultimate control of the target company and have a value of £1M or more. Also numbers are provisional and may be subject to revisions in either direction, but are more likely to be upwards than downwards.
Headline Statistics for UK M&A Q1-26
Total M&A for Q1-26 was 352, compared with 495 Q4-25. This was lower than in the previous quarter for each of outward, inward and domestic M&A.
Value of outward M&A was £4.7Bn during Q1-26, £1.7Bn more than in Q4-25, £3.0Bn.
Value of inward M&A was £14.2Bn during Q1-26, £18.8Bn lower than in Q4-25, £33.0Bn.
Value of domestic M&A was £1.5Bn in Q1-26, £0.4Bn lower than in Q4-25 £1.9Bn.
Monthly UK M&A Q1-26
Total number monthly M&A was 146 in JAN-26 falling to 106 in FEB-26 and falling again to 100 in MAR-26.
Figure shows numbers UK M&A have ranged from 95 to 243 from JAN-23 to MAR-26.
Outward monthly M&A saw 29 transactions in JAN 2026, falling to 18 in FEB and then rising to 25 in MAR.
Inward monthly M&A saw 69 acquisitions in JAN, decreasing to 45 during FEB and then rising to 49 in MAR.
Domestic monthly M&A saw 48 transactions in JAN, decreasing slightly to 43 during FEB before falling to 26 in MAR.
The Bank of England’s latest report stated:
Annual business and financial services revenue growth remains subdued, supported by prices rather than volumes, which remain broadly flat. Confidence is still fragile. Professional services are mixed: restructuring and tax work remain solid, but mergers and acquisitions and property‑related activity continue to be held back by uncertainty.
And:
Investment intentions remain weak but seem to have stabilised, with fewer references to pulling back and more reporting they are maintaining spending, refurbishing and replacing, and investing in technology to improve efficiencies.
Outward UK M&A Q1-26
Value £Bn Outward UK M&A Q1-26
Value of outward M&A in Q1-26 was £4.7Bn, an increase of £1.7Bn from Q4-25 (£3.0Bn) but £3.3Bn lower than Q1-25 (£8.0Bn).
Value of outward M&A between Q1-22 and Q1-26 ranged from £1.8Bn to £10.1Bn.
Number Outward UK M&A Q1-26
There were 72 outward acquisitions in Q1-26, 12 less than for previous quarter (84) and 1 more than Q1-25 (71).
Total number of outward UK M&A between Q1-22 and Q1-26 ranged from 63 to 94 transactions.
Inward UK M&A Q1-26
Value Inward UK M&A Q1-26
Value inward M&A in Q1-26 was £14.2Bn. This was £18.8Bn lower than previous quarter (33.0Bn) and £6.1Bn less than Q1-25 (£20.3Bn).
A notable inward M&A transactions completing in Q1-26 was:
Value of inward UK M&A fell to £14.2Bn in Q1-26.
Value of inward UK M&A between Q1-22 and Q1-26 ranged from £4.0Bn to £33.0Bn.
Number Inward UK M&A Q1-26
Inward UK M&A transactions in Q1-26 were 163, 81 less than previous quarter, 244 & 27 less than Q1-25, 190.
Total number of inward M&A acquisitions between Q1-22 and Q1-26 ranged from 149 to 244.
Domestic UK M&A Q1-26
Number Domestic UK M&A Q1-26
Domestic monthly M&A was 117 transactions for Q1-26, 50 less than for previous quarter, 167, and 66 less than in Q1-26, 183.
Total number of domestic M&A between Q1-22 and Q1-26 ranged from 117 to 263.
Value Domestic UK M&A Q1-26
Value of domestic M&A in Q1-26 was £1.5Bn, a decrease of £0.4Bn than Q4-25, £1.9Bn and £1.6Bn less than Q1-25, £3.1Bn.
At least one notable domestic M&A transaction that completed in Q1-26 was:
Value of domestic M&A was £1.5Bn in Q1-26.
Value of domestic M&A between Q1-22 and Q1-26 ranged from £1.5Bn to £7.6Bn
The above data for M&A Stats Q1-26 was extracted from the Office of National Statistics; full details here.
Do you want to know what the latest UK M&A statistics for Q1-26 mean for your potential company sale? Then contact us now for a confidential appraisal of potential market appetite for your industry.
Tags: 2026, M&A Statistics, M&A Stats, Office for National Statistics, Q1-26, Q41, UK
