UK firms a target for cash-rich continentals

Depolaristion may open up the UK market to more cross-border takeovers of IFA chains, according to the head of German company AWD, which last year bought one of the UK's top ten intermediaries Thomson's Group. Friedemann Derndinger, chief operating officer of AWD, says his company still has €500m earmarked to help the company persue further acquisitions across Europe, including the UK. Depolarisation did not clinch the deal when Thomson's was negotiated, he says, but the fact depolarisation is happening does not hurt AWD in terms of looking out for more potential deals. Thomso...