Re-shaping for the new decade
Entry into the new decade brings promise—banks finally have the tools to shake off the remaining shackles of the global financial crisis and embrace deal-making to re-shape for the future.
Introduction
As the relationship between the bloc and the United Kingdom transitions into a new era, financial services M&A across the European landscape responds to the weight of change. Change heralds opportunity for some and disruption for others.
To bring you this 6th edition of our biannual European Financial Services M&A Trends reports, we have analysed more than 1,600 deal and situations announced in H2 2019, including many that White & Case has directly advised on.
In this edition, we analyse inorganic investment strategies and highlight the key M&A trends across Europe and the UK. Focusing on Banks, Fintech and Other Financial Services, we also provide Focusing on Banks, Fintech and Other Financial Services, we also provide our insights on the outlook for M&A in H1 2020 and beyond.
Key highlights from H2 2019 include the following:
- Banks: Strategic M&A takes centre stage—we have seen 40 bank consolidation deals in H2 2019
- Fintech: Availability of growth capital drives stratospheric investment levels, with London overtaking New York as the world’s #1 hub for fintech investments
- Asset/Wealth Management: Industry consolidation continues at pace, spurred by MiFID II fee transparency requirements, rising operating costs and growing competition
- Payments: Mega-deals, including Global Payments/Total System Services, Fidelity National/Worldpay and PayPal/iZettle, dominate headlines
- Stock Exchanges/Clearing Houses/Trading Venues: The search for the world’s premier listing venue continues—data aggregation and analytics capabilities could set competitors apart?
- Brokers/Corporate Finance: Household names turn to M&A as pressure mounts from fintechs offering commission-free trading services
- Consumer Finance: Financial sponsors see opportunities to back new entrants targeting under-serviced customer segments, including gig economy workers and solopreneurs
- Specialty Finance/Marketplace Lending: The UK Financial Conduct Authority’s new P2P rules add to pressures faced by UK platforms
European financial services M&A trends
Unicorns trail-blaze the London financial services landscape
by Hyder Jumabhoy and Guy Potel
British thoroughbreds dominate the downs—London has overtaken New York as the world's #1 hub for fintech investments. Unicorns are not mythical creatures on City streets…
Asset/Wealth Management
Industry consolidation continues at pace. Rigorous fee transparency requirements under MiFID II, rising operating costs and growing competition from WealthTech/robo-advisers are forcing managers to combine.
Payments
by Jan Jensen and Leonardo Graffi
Megadeals, including Global Payments/Total System Services, Fidelity National/Worldpay and PayPal/iZettle, have dominated headlines, but both deal values and volumes keep smiles on deal-makers' faces.
Stock Exchanges/Clearing Houses/ Trading Venues
by Dr. Jost Kotthoff and Darragh Byrne
The search for the world's premier listing venue continues—could data aggregation and analytics set competitors apart?
Brokers/Corporate Finance
by Franck De Vita and Hugues Mathez
Household names turn to M&A as market disruption from fintechs offering commission-free trading continues.
Consumer Finance
by Daniel Turgel and Henrik Wireklint
Financial sponsors see opportunities to back new entrants targeting under-serviced customer segments, including gig economy workers and solopreneurs.
Specialty Finance/Marketplace Lending
by Ashley Ballard and Jonathan Rogers
The UK Financial Conduct Authority's new P2P rules add to pressures faced by UK platforms.
