292. 2026 M&A Trends: Navigating a rapidly rebounding market

About this episode

Jake Henry and Mieke Van Oostende discuss M&A trends and strategies for 2026 amidst geopolitical pressures.

Top dealmakers entered 2025 expecting to overcome continued challenges, but few anticipated how sharply trade and geopolitical pressures would intensify. In this episode, Jake Henry and Mieke Van Oostende , the global co-leaders of our M&A Practice, share key themes from our annual M&A report. They reflect on how dealmakers maintained focus, adjusted portfolios, and capitalized on shifting sector dynamics to drive substantial growth in 2025. They also share their perspectives on the five trends driving M&A in 2026. Related Insights Read the full report on McKinsey.com: 2026 M&A trends: Navigating a rapidly rebounding market Support the show: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/mckinsey-strategy-&-corporate-finance/ See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

People in this episode

Guests: Jake Henry, Mieke Van Oostende

Topics covered

• M&A trends
• geopolitical pressures
• dealmakers
• sector dynamics
• growth strategies

Keywords

• M&A
• 2026 trends
• dealmaking
• geopolitics
• growth

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: McKinsey & Company

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