Insights

Our team have been busy looking ahead and reviewing what we predict will be key business opportunities and challenges in 2019.

Latest figures released by the Peer-to-Peer Finance Association have revealed that cumulative lending facilitated by P2PFA platforms reached over £10bn during the third quarter of 2018, representing a significant contribution to the UK’s economy.

A surge in e-commerce over the last few years has resulted in a growing number of e-fulfilment businesses being set up both in the UK and across the globe.

As 2018 draws to a close, now is a good time to reflect on what has been a significant year for global mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity. 

Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) continue to provide ambitious businesses with opportunities to achieve step-changes in their growth profiles through inorganic acquisitions. With global interest rates continuing to remain at historical lows and no obvious sign of an imminent and significant upward change in borrowing costs, historically cheap debt remains available to fuel global M&A activity. Global deal values had reached $3.3 trillion in the nine months to September 2018, significantly ahead of the prior year and reaching highs last seen pre-2008.

With little over 100 days to go until Brexit and growing uncertainty surrounding the Prime Minister’s ability to get the deal agreed in parliament, small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) – whether aware or not – face a substantial amount of financial ambiguity. Although we have seen a steady rise in lending against assets during Q2 of 2018, it is important that SMEs don’t remain complacent about the future and instead, adequately prepare for all eventualities of Brexit; with or without a deal.

In 2018 the Bank of Cyprus completed the sale of a portfolio of non-performing loans (NPLs) to Apollo Global Management LLC, a U.S. private equity firm.  The deal involved 14,000 loans of €2.8 billion (of which €2.7 billion related to NPLs) which were secured by real estate collateral, for a gross cash consideration of some €1.4 billion.

The Bristol office of business advisory firm Quantuma has announced it is to sponsor the Enterprise Hero award at this year’s Bristol Young Hero Awards.

Business advisory firm Quantuma has advised on the sale of home products company Apple Panels Ltd, which traded as Apple Home Improvements, to conservatory and door supplier, County Windows (Winchester) Ltd.