Greater than half of worldwide chief executives are getting ready to pursue acquisitions in 2026 as corporations more and more use mergers and acquisitions (M&A) to speed up transformation, enhance productiveness and safe development.
That is in response to the EY-Parthenon 2026 CEO Outlook, a survey of 1,200 CEOs.
The report exhibits that 53% of CEOs intend to pursue acquisitions within the subsequent 12 months, reflecting renewed confidence in dealmaking as a strategic lever quite than merely a path to scale.
EY-Parthenon stated world M&A exercise rebounded strongly in 2025, marked by each scale and sectoral variety.
Though expertise remained probably the most energetic sector, pushed by demand for AI capabilities, digital infrastructure and next-generation platforms, the rebound in dealmaking was broad-based.
Healthcare, vitality, industrials, shopper items and {financial} companies additionally recorded sturdy exercise, reflecting corporations’ efforts to reposition portfolios and adapt to altering market dynamics.
In response to the report, CEOs are more and more viewing M&A as an extension of their enterprise-wide transformation agenda.
On the high of acquisition goals, 50% of CEOs cited operational optimisation and productiveness positive factors, together with digitalisation.
This, EY-Parthenon stated, underscores a shift in considering: “M&A is now not merely a path to scale, however a catalyst for accelerating operational modernisation and embedding superior expertise capabilities sooner than natural funding.”
As well as, 45% of CEOs prioritised accelerating top-line development by way of acquisitions, highlighting ambitions to enter new markets, strengthen aggressive positioning and seize adjoining demand.
Bettering buyer engagement and retention, decreasing prices, and enhancing product and course of innovation have been additionally recognized as key motivations, aligning M&A with broader transformation targets.
The report famous that the defining benefit of M&A is velocity.
Whereas natural transformation usually requires years of funding and cultural change, focused acquisitions can rapidly ship capabilities, expertise, expertise and market entry, permitting corporations to compress timelines and overcome inner constraints.
“Whether or not buying an AI-native enterprise or an organization with superior operational practices, M&A permits organisations to tug ahead the advantages of transformation,” the report stated.
Past acquisitions, CEOs are additionally more and more utilizing joint ventures and strategic alliances to advance transformation.
The survey discovered that 79% of CEOs plan to pursue alliances or joint ventures in 2026, up sharply from 62% in 2025, reflecting the attraction of partnerships as a sooner, lower-risk path to new capabilities.
Regardless of the rebound, cross-border M&A continues to face geopolitical headwinds.
Rising nationwide safety opinions, overseas funding screening, sanctions and antitrust scrutiny have elevated deal complexity, whereas greater rates of interest and uneven post-pandemic recoveries have favoured home consolidation.
Though the US remained the most important vacation spot for cross-border offers, accounting for 30% of deal worth and 17% of quantity in 2025, its share has declined in contrast with earlier years.
On Friday, Nairametrics reported that Andela Inc., one of many world’s largest marketplaces for technical expertise, acquired Woven, a technical evaluation firm identified for its real-world engineering simulations and AI-enabled analysis instruments.
Three days earlier, Netflix revised its $83 billion cash-and-stock bid to purchase Warner Bros. Discovery’s (WBD) studios and streaming enterprise into an all-cash provide, a transfer seen as a method to counter Paramount Skydance’s hostile bid.
Final week, Stripe-owned Nigerian fintech, Paystack, formally entered Nigeria’s banking area following its acquisition of Ladder Microfinance {Bank}, marking a significant enlargement past funds into full-stack {financial} companies.
