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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Business
Alex Daniel

Dealmaking slumps in UK amid higher taxes and trade uncertainty

United Kingdom Donald Trump United States Office for National Statistics
A view of the London skyline from a skyscraper in the City (Yui Mok/PA) - (PA Archive)

The number of takeover deals involving UK companies plunged at the end of last year, according to official data, as companies battled with uncertainty over US trade policy and higher taxes.

In December 2024, mergers and acquisitions (M&A) across the UK fell to just 65, a sharp drop from 151 in November and just over half the number at the end of the previous year.

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