Wall Street Eyes Another Blockbuster Year of Mega-Deals After Record $10B-Plus Transactions in 2025

Wall Street is entering 2026 with renewed confidence that another wave of blockbuster mergers and acquisitions could be on the horizon, following a record-setting year in which $10 billion-plus transactions reached their highest levels in more than a decade. Dealmakers point to a combination of stabilizing interest rates, resilient equity markets, and pent-up corporate demand as key drivers that could sustain momentum after a strong 2025. Large corporations, flush with cash and seeking growth, increasingly turned to acquisitions last year to expand market share, secure technology, and reposition themselves for long-term competitiveness, particularly in sectors such as technology, energy, healthcare, and finance. Bankers say boardrooms that spent much of the previous two years cautious amid economic uncertainty are now more willing to pursue transformative deals as valuations stabilize and financing conditions improve. Private equity firms are also expected to play a larger role, under pressure to deploy capital after a prolonged slowdown and encouraged by improving exit opportunities through public markets and strategic sales.