Midlands accountancy firm Smith Cooper has continued its impressive track record of 2015 into the first Quarter of 2016, again being ranked in the top 10 of Experian’s Deal League Tables.
The firm has secured its highest ever placing after being ranked joint 7th by deal volume in the Midlands for Quarter 1, an increase from its 9th placing for the 2015 calendar year. Smith Cooper has also been ranked joint 5th in the North West for Quarter 1, having not been ranked before.
The Experian review reported that “after the buoyancy of 2015, the first quarter of 2016 has seen M&A activity ease virtually across the board. There has been more cautious approach, alongside reduced private equity activity, market volatility and fewer deals involving UK SMEs, which has produced a more subdued start to the year than many expected”.
Whilst Experian reported a 15.1% like-for-like decline for UK-wide deal volumes in Quarter 1 2016, the decrease for the Midlands was a mere 3.5%, and that for the North West was even smaller at 1.5%.
Smith Cooper have completed several high profile transactions in Quarter 1 including the sale of Zip Textiles to Johnson Service Group.
Head of Corporate Finance, John Farnsworth, commented: “Whilst UK-wide deal volumes have slowed in the first Quarter 1, the Midlands has fared better and in fact Smith Cooper’s volumes have actually maintained the rate we achieved in 2015. The transactions we have in process and the pipeline suggest that we will increase our Corporate finance activity in 2016.
With an innovative approach, hard work, and our teams consistently being commended for the great service we offer clients, we remain confident this year will be very successful.”
