JP Morgan's global investment banking co-head, Dorothee Blessing, stated that despite growing concerns about the economy, a surge in mergers, acquisitions, and public offerings in the final months of 2026 could still push the full-year deal value to a fresh record.

In an interview, she noted, "We do believe that, across overall M&A and financing, we could be heading for a record year." Data shows that global transaction volume in the first half of this year rose roughly 30% year-over-year to $2.6 trillion. The current all-time annual record stands at $5.3 trillion, set in 2021.

Blessing also expects strategic deals to keep increasing. Private equity is regaining momentum as well. At the start of the year, many private equity funds were slow to exit investments because the valuations of numerous assets in their portfolios exceeded what the market was willing to accept. However, once they are confident deals can be reached, some funds are re-entering the M&A and IPO arenas.