IT Sector Drives 343 UK M&A Deals in H1 2025

Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) continue to be a significant growth strategy across various sectors globally in 2025. In the UK, the IT and communications sectors have seen robust acquisition activity, with companies like Onecom expanding through multiple purchases to enhance their service portfolios and geographic reach, while Softcat made a strategic entry into AI and data services by acquiring a consultancy. In Nigeria, regulatory-driven recapitalization in banking and insurance is accelerating M&A activity, with banks merging to meet new capital requirements and insurers undergoing structural reforms. Meanwhile, corporate skepticism remains about conglomerate mergers, with recent developments like the Kraft Heinz split highlighting challenges in achieving promised synergies. On Wall Street, notable transactions include SpaceX's $17 billion acquisition of wireless spectrum licenses for Starlink, Dick's Sporting Goods' $2.4 billion purchase of Foot Locker, and PNC Financial's $4.1 billion acquisition of FirstBank Holding to expand in key U.S. markets. These diverse moves reflect M&A’s continuing role in market expansion, technological advancement, and regulatory compliance across industries and regions.