Buyers in the M&A market are being forced to pay more over and above a takeover target’s share price than they have for nearly a decade, as shareholders squeeze out the highest premiums offered by bidders since 2000.

According to data provider Dealogic, the average one-month premium in the past quarter was 29.5%, up from 24.1% in the previous quarter and 24.3% in the same quarter last year. The average premium for the full year in 2007 was 21.2%.