The chase for scale is fueling a late-year rally in dealmaking that bankers and lawyers interviewed by Reuters say will continue into 2026 as companies take advantage of looser antitrust scrutiny in the US and favorable markets.
There were a record 70 deals globally worth over $10 billion apiece so far this year, 22 of them in the fourth quarter, Dealogic data shows. Despite a rocky first half as Trump kicked off a global trade war, deals have already surpassed $4.8 trillion so far this year, up 41% from 2024, even as the number of deals fell 6% to 38 395, according to Dealogic data as of December 16. It’s the second-biggest year ever, only bettered in 2021 when near-zero rates and COVID stimulus drove M&A to over $6 trillion.
–Reuters–
