Global M&A Dealmakers See Activity Accelerating in H2 2026: Sentiment Report
SS&C survey of 400 global M&A professionals signals dealmakers see opportunities to reallocate dry powder
SS&C Technologies Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:SSNC) today announced the publication of the SS&C Intralinks H2 2026 Global M&A Dealmakers Sentiment Report. In association with Reuters Events, SS&C Intralinks surveyed more than 400 global M&A dealmakers from corporate development, private equity and advisory roles to understand market challenges and opportunities.
"Dealmakers are demonstrating renewed confidence in H2 2026, with more than half expecting increased M&A activity as volatility and market conditions normalize," said Ken Bisconti, Head of SS&C Intralinks. "Moreover, we are seeing fundamental shifts in how capital is deployed. Organizations are increasingly pursuing transactions that deliver technological capabilities, operational synergies and geographic expansion simultaneously, focusing on a holistic approach to value creation. To win such transformative deals, more firms are embracing technology and AI to improve deal execution and stand out."
Key findings from the report include:
- 60% expect increased M&A and financing activity over the next six months, while 29% expect to see slowdowns.
- Dealmakers are also more optimistic about deal volume: 43% expect to work on four or more deals in the second half of the year, with another 22% expecting to participate in one to three deals.
- While middle-market deals continue to proliferate, the market is seeing the resurgence of mega-deals: 29% expect to work on transformative transactions of more than $10 billion in H2 2026, while another 43% expect to pursue those opportunities among debt capital financing deals.
- Respondents cite legal and regulatory issues, geopolitical instability and the availability of financing as their top obstacles to completing a deal in the next 12 months. 53% believe getting financing is harder in 2026 than in 2025.
To get ahead, dealmakers are focused on optimizing their deal execution capabilities with technology:
- 30% say they are focusing on building internal AI and data capabilities. 81% already use integrated AI in their deal processes across all deal stages.
- 35% cite using technology to improve information governance and availability as a key factor in improving deal execution. Another 34% say using AI and machine learning to automate tasks and processes will help improve efficiency and accelerate execution speed.
- Among those using AI in their processes, 54% are finding the most value from products designed for the finance industry, such as Intralinks’ Link digital assistant designed for dealmakers. A further 25% see the most value from bespoke offerings tailored to the company’s needs and trained on its data. Only 21% use general LLMs with little to no customization.
Click here to read the full report.
SS&C Intralinks is a pioneer of the virtual data room, delivering AI-enabled services across the entire deal lifecycle, including deal marketing, deal prep, due diligence, insights and post-merger integration. Intralinks technology enables and secures the flow of information by facilitating M&A, capital raising and investor reporting. SS&C Intralinks has executed more than USD 37 trillion worth of financial transactions on its platform.
About SS&C Technologies
SS&C is a leading provider of mission-critical, AI-powered software and services empowering financial services and healthcare organizations to work smarter, faster, and securely. Founded in 1986, SS&C is headquartered in Windsor, Connecticut, and has offices worldwide. More than 23,000 financial services and healthcare organizations, from the world's largest companies to small and mid-market firms, rely on SS&C for expertise, scale and technology.
Additional information about SS&C (NASDAQ:SSNC) is available at www.ssctech.com.
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For more information
Brian Schell | Chief
Financial Officer, SS&C
Technologies
Tel: +1-816-642-0915| E-mail:
InvestorRelations@sscinc.com
Justine Stone | Investor
Relations, SS&C Technologies
Tel: +1-212-367-4705 | E-mail:
InvestorRelations@sscinc.com
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