Three more London-listed firms agree private-equity takeovers as deal value tops $100bn

Bodycote, listed on the London Stock Exchange since 1972, signed a £1.84bn agreement to be taken private by US private-equity group Veritas, ending a bidding contest with European buyout firm CVC. Gamma Communications, a telecoms operator, endorsed a £1.1bn proposal from UK private-equity firm Epiris after earlier talks with Waterland. Scottish energy company Capricorn will leave the FTSE all-share after accepting a $396m offer from Norwegian rival DNO, abandoning a prior recommendation of Genel Energy.

Bloomberg data show that such exits have already accounted for nearly $110bn in deals this year, bringing the cumulative value of LSE delistings to over $100bn. Recent high-profile takeovers include easyJet by Apollo, Segro by Prologis, ITV’s streaming arm by Comcast, Schroders by a US investor, Intertek by EQT and Beazley by Zurich. The surge underscores mounting pressure on the London market as firms seek the flexibility of private ownership.