Updated

Updated · Bloomberg · Jul 10

Foreign Ownership of UK Firms Jumps 35% to 200,000 by 2024 as Cheap Valuations Spur Deals

Updated

Updated · Bloomberg · Jul 10

Foreign Ownership of UK Firms Jumps 35% to 200,000 by 2024 as Cheap Valuations Spur Deals

1 articles · Updated · Bloomberg · Jul 10

Just over 200,000 UK companies were foreign-controlled in 2024, up from 148,742 in 2020, according to Office for National Statistics data released Friday.
Cheap valuations after the Covid outbreak helped drive a wave of dealmaking that lifted overseas ownership sharply over the four-year period.
The increase came even as the total number of UK businesses stayed broadly flat in recent years, indicating a larger share of firms moved into foreign hands rather than overall business growth.
The figures underscore how post-pandemic pricing and acquisition activity reshaped ownership across corporate Britain.

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Foreign takeovers are surging, so why is the total value of foreign investment in the UK shrinking?

With UK firms being bought at a record pace, are British jobs and innovation at risk?

Is the UK's foreign ownership boom a sign of global confidence or a fire sale of national assets?

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