: Seeing a surge in consolidation, particularly in the Middle East and the fragmented US banking market.
The highlights a resurgent buy-side market, with global deal values reaching $4.7 trillion in late 2025, driven by an urgent need for business reinvention through AI and geographic expansion. Key Buy-Side Trends for 2026 buy side m&a
: Identified by advisors as a top-performing sector for 2026 due to low reliance on volatile supply chains. Buyer Priorities & Risks : Seeing a surge in consolidation, particularly in
: 66% of acquirers now prioritize recurring revenue as the top characteristic when evaluating targets, followed closely by strong margin profiles and defensible cashflow. Buyer Priorities & Risks : 66% of acquirers
: A sharp divergence has emerged where large, well-capitalized buyers are driving megadeals (over $5B), while the mid-market remains constrained by valuation gaps and execution risks.
: Continues to attract the highest deal values, especially in AI-related infrastructure like data centers.
: AI has moved from a "buzzword" to mandatory due diligence; buyers now use AI-driven synergy forecasting to achieve up to 90% accuracy in value modeling.