Advisers cautioned that the recent rally in the pound, up about 3.7 per cent against the US dollar over the past month, could put a brake on activity, as could a recent run-up in stock prices — both of which make UK assets less of a bargain.

“The two ingredients that have made public-to-private [deals] attractive are starting to erode,” said Emilio Domingo,a partner with Bain & Company and head of the firm’s UK private equity practice.