Bargain Britain lures foreign buyers as hostile takeovers surge

U.K.-listed stocks are in the crosshairs of foreign buyers, as persistently depressed valuations drive a surge in public takeovers.New analysis by White & Case shows publicly-listed merger and acquisition deals values in the U.K. — the G7's fastest-growing economy — topped £75 billion ($99 billion) in the period to the end of the third quarter.That's almost double the £38.2 billion for the whole of 2025 — with overseas money fueling the surge and the number of hostile approaches quadrupling this year.International investors were involved in deals accounting for 72% of transaction volume, and 94% of aggregate deal value, White & Case said Thursday, drawn by what Patrick Sarch, head of U.K. public M&A at the law firm, called the "prolonged valuation gap" between U.K.-listed companies and their global peers.Stock Chart IconStock chart iconThe blue-chip FTSE 100 is by around 50% over the last five years. This year has also seen four hostile offers, two of which emerged in the third quarter. That compares to just one hostile offer in 2025, and none in 2024. White & Case also counted 14 so-called "bear hug" offers, in which potential bidders look to exert public pressure ...