Business as usual? The impact of Covid-19 on advice M&A

clock • 8 min read

As the UK slowly tries to rid itself of the novel coronavirus, is it business as usual for financial advice consolidators? Or will these merger and acquisition growth strategies see long-term changes as a result of the pandemic?

For David Lawrence, UK CEO of Kingswood, which made several acquisitions last year, including an £18m Yorkshire IFA purchase in June 2020, the market is a mixed bag at the moment. "The opportunity to consolidate in what is a very fragmented marketplace remains strong, and in many ways has not been interrupted by the pandemic," says Lawrence. "Some owners have seen revenues dip during 2020 leaving them thoughtful about the timing of a sale, but this is often overcome by valuing the business on a sustainable basis and with the addition of an incentive for growth as we come out of the pa...

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