Asset Management

Fund manager M&A frenzy spills into first quarter as global deals reach $18bn

The value of M&A transactions struck so far this year is the highest it has been since 2018

Notable deals in the UK included Royal Bank of Canada’s $1.9bn purchase of Brewin Dolphin, which was announced in March
Notable deals in the UK included Royal Bank of Canada’s $1.9bn purchase of Brewin Dolphin, which was announced in March Photo: Stephanie Foden/Getty Images

The wave of fund manager M&A that drove global deal numbers to a record high last year has run into 2022, with the value of transactions in the first four months of the year its highest since 2018.

Figures from Refinitiv, provided exclusively to Financial News, show that M&A transactions in the global asset management sector between January and April were valued at $18bn, up 49% from the same four-month period in 2021.

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