M&A Outlook for 2026 - This Time It Feels Different

We've been here before, where the near-term mergers and acquisitions outlook was bullish, and, for one reason or another, the expected wave of M&A activity never fully materialized. But conditions currently feel different, as Martin Brand, head of Blackstone Capital Partners, points out and provides cause for optimism for 2026. Others, including Blackstone President and COO Jon Gray and Goldman CFO Denis Coleman, have recently shared similar sentiments.

The back half of 2025 saw a flurry of deal activity, including mega-cap deals (value of $10B and above).  Announced transactions increased significantly in the second half of 2025, both in dollar value and number of transactions, with a peak in December.  And coming into 2026, positive momentum is being driven by improving fundamentals, including a declining cost of capital, narrowing bid-ask spread between sellers and buyers, and an increasing pipeline of IPOs.  

Learn more from Riveron experts on executing complex transactions and maximizing exit effectiveness and value by exploring related insights relevant for the office of the CFO, private equity sponsors, and M&A professionals.