Skip To Main Content
John West on Muck Rack

John West

Verified
(He/Him)
London
As seen in: Mergermarket, Dealogic, Ion Group, ION, dealReporter
Covers:  M&A, macroeconomics, geopolitics, policy, competition regulation

Get in touch with John

Contact John, search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.

Learn more about Muck Rack

Actions

Share this page

John West’s Biography

Read Full Bio →

I author a regular column - Continental Drift - exploring macroeconomic risks and opportunities impacting M&A deal pipelines both sides of the Atlantic, particularly relevant in today’s increasingly volatile geopolitical and financial landscape.

Leading global efforts to shape Mergermarket’s editorial voice in the market, I also connect our expert reporters’ deep source-driven insights with ION Analytics' industry-leading data. Building a best-in-class practice that elevates our commentary and …

John West’s Journalist Portfolio

See all →
M&A defies geopolitical gravity, but for how long? - Continental Drift

M&A defies geopolitical gravity, but for how long? - Continental Drift

As the Iran conflict drags on and economic storm clouds gather, are there echoes of pre-global financial cris…

View article →
UK Budget chaos sets irregular drumbeat for dealmaker march - Continental Drift

UK Budget chaos sets irregular drumbeat for dealmaker march - Continental Drift

In preparing her UK Budget, Chancellor Rachel Reeves seems to have put strategic coherence to one side and fo…

View article →
AI valuations augur correction amid 'Back to the Future' parallel - Continental Drift

AI valuations augur correction amid 'Back to the Future' parallel - Continental Drift

Hype around AI investment parallels the late-90s dotcom bubble and present valuations might prove unsustainab…

View article →
US recession threat risks stranding greedy sponsors holding out for exit perfection - Continental...

US recession threat risks stranding greedy sponsors holding out for exit perfection - Continental...

Sponsors would benefit from exiting assets now ahead of threatened US recession, rather than holding out for …

View article →
European M&A optimism justified as volatility fatigue trumps risk - Continental Drift

European M&A optimism justified as volatility fatigue trumps risk - Continental Drift

Global M&A and capital markets are resilient as investors tired of waiting for the perfect deal window contin…

View article →
Orsted woes highlight new level of political risk for European energy businesses - comment

Orsted woes highlight new level of political risk for European energy businesses - comment

It's not what you know but who you know, as Orsted has found to its cost. An increasingly charged globalREAD …

View article →

Articles

UK’s M&A future needs political fresh air, not hot air – Continental Drift

|
By John West Verified
| Mergermarket Verified
Britain is wildly overcentralised but its experimentation with stronger municipal government proves localism can deliver. Take the case of one ambitious metropolitan mayor from the Labour party who – in the face of huge, well-financed and motivated opposition – introduced vehicle emissions levies and has seen deaths from toxic air pollution fall by an astonishing 40% over five years. No, not Greater Manchester mayor and prime ministerial heir apparent Andy Burnham.
Open in Who Shared Issue with article?

UK public M&A rides scale wave as clouds obscure macro outlook – White & Case’s Patrick Sarch, with John West – podcast

|
By John West Verified
| Mergermarket Verified
Podcast While deal volumes reach significant highs in the UK, the numbers are largely being driven by big deals with expensive price tags. But these big-ticket transactions may not be the tide that lifts all boats. The lower-to-middle market segment in particular is seeing more muted deal activity. So why the surge of large-scale deals while the mid-market flounders?
Open in Who Shared Issue with article?

A tale of two markets: an update on Europe’s divergent M&A and IPO fortunes – podcast

|
By Samuel D. Kerr, John West Verified
| Mergermarket Verified
Podcast In this week’s Dealcast, Mergermarket’s head of global ECM, Samuel Kerr, joins John West, Mergermarket’s global commentary editor, to discuss how both M&A and ECM, particularly IPOs, are faring in Europe so far this year. M&A on the continent has been off to a strong start with 1Q deal volumes, reaching around EUR 330bn, up 40% year over year. And while general equity capital markets are booming, IPOs have stalled in reaction to the Iran war.
Open in Who Shared Issue with article?
See all 3 articles