Zalued Valuation Accuracy Report: 50 Recent UK SME Deals

Distribution of deal valuations compared to Zalued's estimated range

0% 25% 50% 75% 100%
In Range
Within 15%
Within 25%
Within 40%
>40%
  • 70% in range
  • 88% within 15%
  • 94% within 25%
  • 98% within 40%

Methodology and Scope

This analysis includes only UK M&A transactions announced in 2024 or 2025 with an enterprise value below £100m. All valuations are compared against Zalued's estimated range, which is built from EBITDA multiples adjusted for SME-specific factors.

Outliers

Transactions driven primarily by IP value, asset sales, or other non-EBITDA drivers were excluded. Extreme multiples caused by highly strategic buyers were also removed where they were outside typical SME market behaviour.

Range

Our range covers a variety of different circumstances a business and a buyer may face. For example, for an engineering/construction company with £1m EBITDA, our range spans from approximately -15% to +25% of our initial valuation. As business size shrinks, the downside expands due to the greater significance of risk and post-deal adjustments.