2026 M﹠A Outlook: Dealflow, Lending, Exits & Fundraising
Dealflow, Lending, Exits & Fundraising: The second installment of our 2026 M&A Outlook looks to the engine room of the deal market. Dealflow, lending, exits and fundraising sit at the center of how capital moves — and in the year ahead, each comes with its own mix of opportunity, constraint and recalibration. In this chapter, dealmakers share how they’re approaching new transactions, whether financing is loosening or tightening, what it will take to unlock exits and how they expect capital raising to evolve as firms position for the next cycle.
Mergers & Acquisitions presents its week-long special series: The 2026 M&A Outlook. Throughout the series, more than 50 dealmakers and advisors from across the M&A ecosystem share how they’re thinking about the year ahead — from dealmaking conditions and financing markets to exits, fundraising and the macro forces shaping how capital is put to work.
2026 M&A Outlook Schedule
Friday, December 26: The Economy & Top Macro Concerns
MONDAY, DECEMBER 29: OUTLOOKS ON DEALFLOW, LENDING, EXITS & FUNDRAISING
Tuesday, December 30: The Impact of AI on Dealmaking
Wednesday. December 31: Sector Analysis
Business ServicesConsumer & RetailEnergyFIGHealthcareIndustrialsReal EstateTech-Enabled ServicesTechnology, Media & TelecomFriday, January 2: Mega-Trends Impacting M&A Now and In the Future