We have now published the sector and broader perspectives chapter of our global M&A report for 2026.

In the first chapter, ‘Hanging out, ‘situationships’ and going official: it’s complicated’, we explored the global trends we saw in M&A in 2025 – from early hesitation to lateyear momentum and what we expect in the year ahead.

We discussed:

  • how tariffs and trade tensions are reshaping global M&A strategies;
  • increased disputes risk in deals caused by regulatory and economic shifts;
  • AI’s impact on M&A deals;
  • the skillsets needed by dealmakers to get deals done; and
  • how activists are accelerating restructurings, divestments and deal activity.

We launched our Regional Perspectives in February, where experts from our offices around the world shared insights into the dynamics shaping dealmaking in their region, the pressures and opportunities emerging from 2025’s trends, and what these mean for 2026.

In our sector and broader perspectives chapter, we explore topics across a range of sectors and perspectives. From the state spending driving deals in the defence space and consolidation in cybersecurity, to the challenges facing the automotive industry and regional dispatches on the latest developments in energy.

Related categories

M&A

Key contacts

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Gavin Davies

Partner, Head of M&A, London

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Antonia Kirkby

Knowledge Counsel, London

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Siddhartha Shukla

Partner, Head of India Group, London and India Group

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Gavin Williams

Partner, Head of Infrastructure Sector, London

Gavin Davies Antonia Kirkby Siddhartha Shukla Gavin Williams