Lancashire accountants bullish after £200m in deals

Andrew Feeke, head of corporate finance at accountancy and business advisory firm MHA Moore and Smalley, believes widely anticipated changes to the capital gains tax regime next year, together with strong liquidity among funders, could lead to a record volume of deals between January 1 and April 5.

Andrew made the comments as the firm revealed it advised on corporate transactions and fundraising deals with a value of more than £200m in the 10 months to October 2020.

MHA Moore and Smalley has offices in Blackpool on the airport enterprise zone and in Preston.

The deals included: The acquisition of Greater Manchester-based Lone Worker Solutions by Belfast-based Totalmobile.

Manchester-based Tristone Healthcare’s acquisition of Southampton-based Sportfit Support Services.

The management buyout of Lancashire-based specialist automotive parts manufacturer and exporter Bailcast.

Andrew said: “We mustn’t forget that this has been a very challenging time for many people and communities, as well as for businesses and their owners.

“At the same time, it’s also been encouraging to see many businesses are still growing, creating jobs, and attracting investment.

“Our deal activity has remained strong throughout the pandemic period with our team kept busy on deals spanning different sectors, including cross border deals.

“Many of the legal advisors and private equity contacts I speak to are witnessing a recent increase in activity levels.

“Our short-term pipeline of deals remains incredibly strong and a key driver of this is the possible increase in capital gains tax rates.”

Andrew believes that even after some of the government loan schemes end, there will still be good levels of deal finance available as alternative funders look to continue their growth and enhance their client base.

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