Stock Take
Grafton Group gets ready to flex its M&A muscles
The owner of Woodie’s and Chadwick’s potentially has more than £750m to shell out on acquisitions – but the question is, can it make these deals work?
From banks to food companies, the share buyback has become an increasingly popular tool used by listed Irish companies to return excess capital to shareholders. In 2023 alone, Irish companies listed in Dublin and London bought €3.7 billion worth of their own shares, and that trend has continued into this year.
Companies will often return excess cash to shareholders when no other clear alternative use presents itself such as an M&A deal or capital investment. ...
