The Synergy Trap: Why 83% of UK M&A Fails to Deliver
KPMG 2025/2026 data shows 83% of M&A integrations fail to deliver planned synergies. 71% of acquirers exceed budgets by 28%.
John Hotham here.
Most M&A is value destruction masquerading as strategy.
KPMG’s 2025 M&A Integration Survey reveals a stark reality: 83% of synergy targets are never met. Furthermore, Deloitte reporting from 2025 shows that 71% of acquirers exceeded their integration budgets by an average of 28%.
Harvard Business Review has historically maintained that 70 to 90% of deals destroy value. These are not statistics; they are indictments of poor execution.
The failure usually stems from "Day 1" complacency. Companies focus on the deal close and ignore the structural integration required to capture value.
If your M&A strategy relies on hope rather than rigorous, evidence-based integration, you are gambling with shareholder capital. We do not gamble at Simplif-i. We audit and execute.
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