US EditionGlobal M&A poised to sustain momentum in 2026 after great rebound, finds Bain & Company
Global M&A surged 40% to $4.9 trillion in 2025, driven by AI-related deals and sector consolidation, with 80% of executives expecting continued growth in 2026, Bain reports.
- On Jan. 27, 2026, Bain & Company published its Global M&A Report 2026, reporting a 40% increase to $4.9 trillion in 2025, with AI driving deal momentum.
- Technology disruption, including AI, robotics and quantum, will have profound implications for dealmaking, while geopolitics and post-globalization reshape footprints and private equity and venture capital assets create favorable deal conditions.
- Bain's survey found 80% of 300 M&A executives expect steady or higher deal activity in 2026, while AI tools in M&A adoption more than doubled to 45% last year and banking M&A reached $212 billion.
- In 2026, M&A will be a critical tool for companies reshaping strategy via M&A, with firms increasing divestitures and spins while investing in end-to-end M&A capabilities and integration thesis.
- Despite robust 2025 dealmaking, capital allocation to M&A hit a 30-year low, and deal value concentrates as top 20 oil and gas acquirers held 53%; Bain outlines five pivotal strategies for 2026.
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InsideNoVA.com
Global M&A poised to sustain momentum in 2026 after great rebound, finds Bain & Company
80% of M&A executives expect to sustain or increase deal activity in 2026 after near-record rebound in 2025, finds Bain's surveyTechnology disruption, geopolitics and post-globalization, and shifting portfolio strategies are key forces that will shape M&A in 2026AI adoption in…
BCG Says Dealmakers Are Learning to Win in Uncertainty
Global M&A activity is showing signs of recovery, but not a return to the playbook of the last cycle. According to Boston Consulting Group’s 2025 M&A Report, global deal value rose 10 percent in the first nine months of 2025 compared with the same period last year, even as geopolitical tension, regulatory shifts, and macro uncertainty continue to weigh on confidence. What’s emerging is a more disciplined form of dealmaking. BCG’s research shows …
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