The ONS series

UK M&A statistics: deals and values by quarter, 2026

Updated 2026-10-29

The Office for National Statistics publishes the count and value of completed UK deals each quarter. These are its 2026 figures, each read from its own bulletin.

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April to June 2026

There were an estimated 130 domestic acquisitions involving a change in majority share ownership in Q2 2026, and domestic M&A was worth £4.2 billion, up from £1.5 billion in Q1.

Source: ONS M&A involving UK companies, Apr-Jun 2026

Inward M&A, foreign companies buying UK companies, was 162 completed deals worth £25.4 billion, against 183 deals in Q1 once revised.

Source: ONS M&A involving UK companies, Apr-Jun 2026

Outward M&A, UK companies buying abroad, was 61 deals worth £2.7 billion.

Source: ONS M&A involving UK companies, Apr-Jun 2026

By month, domestic deals were 55 in April, 36 in May and 39 in June 2026; inward deals were 61 in April, 45 in May and 56 in June.

Source: ONS M&A involving UK companies, Apr-Jun 2026

January to March 2026

There were an estimated 117 domestic M&A deals in Q1 2026, worth £1.5 billion; 163 inward deals worth £14.2 billion on the first estimate; and 72 outward deals worth £4.7 billion.

Source: ONS M&A involving UK companies, Jan-Mar 2026

By month, domestic deals were 48 in January and 43 in February; inward deals were 69 in January, 45 in February and 49 in March.

Source: ONS M&A involving UK companies, Jan-Mar 2026

What the ONS does not count

The series records completed deals that change ultimate control of the target and are worth £1 million or more. A small business bought for less, which is most owner-managed sales, does not appear in it.

Source: ONS M&A involving UK companies, Apr-Jun 2026

Those smaller buys still show on the public register, as a company filing a new person with significant control.

Source: People with significant control (PSCs) guidance

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Tell us what you want to buy.

Sector, area, price range and timing. Joseph Ellul reads it himself and replies directly. Free, no obligation.

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Sources

This site's own dataset, every figure quoted from its source and dated:

The UK M&A Activity Statistics carries 6 published figures read from 2 sources' own pages, from 1,500,000,000 to 25,400,000,000 GBP, read 28 October 2026.

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