Author Terry Pratchett once said, “A lie can run round the world before the truth has got its boots on.” Nowhere is this truer than in the world of mergers and acquisitions. The potential buy-out of Twitter by Disney has been the subject of much rumour and this article looks at their veracity as well as examining other suitors that may be eyeing the micro-blogging site.

M&A in the Biotech sector rose by 25 per cent in the third quarter of 2016 compared to the two previous quarters, but is still down in activity seen in 2015. This activity was driven by small and medium deals but also the biggest deal of the year so far; German drug manufacturer Bayer’s takeover of the US agricultural seed producer, Monsanto, for $66 billion.

The team at Benchmark International is often approached by business owners with questions about M&A and what the typical process looks like. As with most things in the business world, one merger or acquisition is rarely the same as the last, but there are some key areas that you need to be aware of if you are thinking of buying or selling a business.

Whether it is a food manufacturer acquiring a start-up that specialises in organic goods or a media company making an investment in app development, there is little doubt that a number of M&A deals are being driven by businesses wanting to make that shift to attracting a younger market.

Despite uncertainty surrounding Britain’s decision to leave the European Union in June, the British Fintech sector continues to grow and a flurry of M&A activity made last month one of the sector’s busiest months yet.

Following a summer of uncertainty post Brexit, investors all over the world are returning from summers spent on the beach, ready to do some serious M&A business to close out the year.

The reported record levels of profit generated in the global recruitment sector in the last few years has worked as a catalyst for high levels of M&A activity. The great news for recruitment is that this appetite looks set to continue as we approach the final quarter of 2016.

Media M&A has picked up significantly over the last few years in line with the structural changes to the industry. With the increasing development of technology that is now readily available to consumers has come a growing appetite to digest media through a number of channels.

In the first week of September, German companies announced M&A deals amounting to $72bn – a significant contribution to the country’s global share in M&A, which has now doubled.

Chinese Olympians managed to scoop a total of 26 gold medals at the Rio Olympic Games. Although the country’s medal haul was not enough to match its astonishing tally in Beijing in 2008, China finished a commendable third place behind the US and the UK in the medal table.

Benchmark International is pleased to announce that a deal has been agreed for the sale of LTC Services Limited to Russell Taylor Group.

Business culture is one of the most influential factors when it comes to mergers and acquisitions. Unfortunately, it is also often one of the most overlooked.

The steep drop in the price of crude oil created significant instability and uncertainty across the sector, and traditionally-run organisations have had to make strategic adjustments and difficult decisions amid the crisis. Despite the recent challenges facing the Oil & Gas sector, the energy industry as a whole remains the most active sector within M&A, with dealmakers predicting that activity is set to rapidly accelerate over the next 12 months.

Benchmark International is pleased to announce the sale of Creative Cars and Couriers to Mach 1 Couriers.

Some businesses engage in M&A activity to increase their capabilities in R&D or to leverage manufacturing operations. Others wish to increase their market share or gain a competitive advantage. Some need to diversify their products and services while others seek to cut costs. In some cases, it’s a change of leadership which leads down the M&A route, while other companies need investment simply to survive. However, one often-overlooked reason for becoming involved in mergers and acquisitions is to enable companies (or a company) to achieve growth in the future.

Rumours will typically run wild when M&A is on the horizon, which can create an atmosphere of fear and unsettling instability within an organisation. We take a look at the challenges facing businesses when trying to keep a potential deal under wraps, why timing is everything when it comes to a deal announcement and the tactics businesses can use when controlling their M&A story.

Benchmark International is pleased to announce that a deal has been agreed for the sale of Spectra Care Group to Octopus Investments Limited.

The technology sector has long dominated M&A media coverage, with some of the most recognisable brands sparking the public’s interest with mega-deals grabbing headlines. Increasingly, these deals are focusing on one of the next big battlegrounds for technology companies: the cloud.

A month is a long time in business and nothing has demonstrated this as much as games giant, Nintendo. Just a few weeks ago we discussed the £11.1bn that gaming phenomenon Pokémon Go had added to the value of Nintendo, with shares soaring by more than 86 per cent. Now, we are looking at quite a different story.

Benchmark International are pleased to announce that we have been named as the ‘International Corporate Finance Advisor of the Year’ by the 2016 Worldwide Financial Advisor Awards Magazine.

With Finding Dory set to be the blockbuster family movie of the summer, we are reminded of one of the most successful M&A stories from the last twenty years. Not only did Disney’s acquisition of Pixar Studios see the corporation’s luck start to turn, it also continues to provide a shining example of a successful post-acquisition strategy.

The UK and the EU might be in the throes of an acrimonious break-up that has sparked uncertainty in the business world and caused market instability, but there is apparently one sector that seems immune to the problems.

If you have children or know any young adults, you may have noticed them being even more engaged in their smartphones than usual. The reason is Pokémon Go – the gaming phenomenon that’s sweeping the world. Its popularity has added £11.1bn to Nintendo’s value within just one week and its share prices are at a six year high. We take a look at why Apps are making companies so profitable and attractive for investment.

Love it or hate it, sport is everywhere, not only featuring on the back pages of our newspapers, but also dominating the front pages too. The business of sport generates massive revenue – it is estimated the global sports industry is worth almost $600bn, so it is no wonder it has sparked interest from investors over recent years.

As the Brexit fallout clears from UK politics a new reality has set in. The new Prime Minister, Theresa May, has made it clear that the UK is still open for business. As if to emphasise that fact, only days after her official appointment, one of the UK’s largest and swiftest deals has been announced, demonstrating how the UK has maintained its attractiveness for investment from overseas companies.

Benchmark International is pleased to have advised on an agreed deal for the sale of Jet Environmental Systems to Wozair Limited.

Benchmark International is pleased to have advised on an agreed deal for the sale of Web Age Limited to Cloudstream Technology Limited.

Benchmark International is pleased to have advised on an agreed deal for the sale of Oakwood Technology Group Limited to Thermotech Solutions Limited.

Amid worldwide market uncertainty and unprecedented political upheaval, it’s reassuring to know that there is some good news in the world of mergers and acquisitions. We take a look at how FMCG M&A over the last year has brought strength to the market.

Benchmark International is pleased to have advised on an agreed deal for the sale of Freshwater Coolers Plc to Office Watercoolers.

There are few things the M&A market likes less than political uncertainty and, following the results of the EU referendum and Brexit shaking up global markets, there is more to come in the form of the upcoming presidential elections in the US.

Think healthcare M&A is on its way out in 2016? Think again.

The corporate industry world has borne witness to some of the mega deals being signed throughout the year. Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer announced as $160 billion merger with Allergan. A deal that was, according to Bloomberg, “the largest ever deal in the history of healthcare industry and second biggest deal overall on record”.

In today’s environment of global competition, growth from within your company can only take you so far. One strategy is to expand through mergers and acquisitions, to enter a market or acquire innovation capability. It is risky as making a deal a success is one of the hardest tasks in business. So, how can you reduce the risks and increase the chances of carrying out a successful merger or acquisition?

In just six months, China has already beaten its outstanding M&A record in overseas deals from 2015. Last year, Chinese investors put forwards $111bn within foreign M&A deals and have, so far, spent $111.6bn in 2016.

For a long time, big data has meant big business. In the first quarter of 2016, big data alone accounted for an estimated 70 per cent of M&A activity, according to a survey conducted by EY.

Regardless of which way the referendum goes this week, an end to speculation over the UK's membership of the European Union could pave the way for significant M&A activity across the FTSE All-Share.

In a corporate merger or acquisition, it is imperative to make sure that both companies involved are on the same page in the early stages of the process. M&A is complicated and require costly resources, therefore it is important to know what each party is prepared to offer before proceeding with the transaction. One method to make sure that both parties are on the same page is to draft and produce a letter of intent (LOI), which outlines the deal points of the merger or acquisition and serves as a type of “agreement to agree”.

When making decisions, most people tend to go with their gut feeling rather than relying on the accurate data available. People will not like to admit this, but as humans we find it very difficult to remain 100% objective. Inevitably, emotions become a factor when running a business which is natural as you must have some form of passion in order to run a company and make it a success. Particularly when it comes to a potential deal being made, emotions can outweigh cold hard facts.