Business
M&A Market Set to Broaden as Confidence Surges
PROVIDENCE, R.I., January 06, 2026--After a year of economic uncertainty and headline-grabbing megadeals, Citizens’ 15th annual M&A Outlook points to a broader U.S. dealmaking landscape in 2026. Optimism among leaders at U.S. middle market companies and private equity firms has hit a six-year high, with 58% calling the current mergers and acquisitions environment strong.
About this update from Citizens Financial Group, Inc.
[{"type":"image","alt":"","displaySize":"","headline":null,"caption":"","credit":null,"className":"","disableSlideshowImg":false,"size":{"original":{"width":1024,"height":512,"url":"https://media.zenfs.com/en/business-wire.com/b1050b675a71be3971ebc9c093d4aef5"},"resized":{"url":"https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/QpTYKgRBSKTtQ9MpzK1yAA--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTQ4MDtjZj13ZWJw/https://media.zenfs.com/en/business-wire.com/b1050b675a71be3971ebc9c093d4aef5","width":960,"height":480},"resize_sm":{"url":"https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/SoruJU0cqw.t596U7RcS5Q--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTY0MDtoPTMyMDtjZj13ZWJw/https://media.zenfs.com/en/business-wire.com/b1050b675a71be3971ebc9c093d4aef5","width":640,"height":320},"lightbox":{"url":"https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/cyxhfmRBwasmDGN.O7_AYQ--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTIwNDg7aD0xMDI0O2NmPXdlYnA-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/business-wire.com/b1050b675a71be3971ebc9c093d4aef5","width":1024,"height":512}},"lazy":false},{"type":"text","content":"Private equity optimism and economic clarity point to strong 2026 deal flow, Citizens survey finds","length":98,"tagName":"p","attribs":{}},{"type":"text","content":"PROVIDENCE, R.I., January 06, 2026--(BUSINESS WIRE)--After a year of economic uncertainty and headline-grabbing megadeals, Citizens’ 15th annual M&A Outlook points to a broader U.S. dealmaking landscape in 2026. Optimism among leaders at U.S. middle market companies and private equity firms has hit a six-year high, with 58% calling the current mergers and acquisitions environment strong.","length":394,"tagName":"p"},{"type":"text","content":"That optimism reflects a clearer economic picture. Rising input costs and supply chain disruptions challenged businesses in 2025. Forty-two percent of companies said tariffs and trade policy made it harder to do business last year. Yet the economy proved resilient, and businesses adapted to new market realities. Most companies now point to economic growth and rate cuts as key tailwinds for business, and 54% of all respondents (including private equity firms) expect economic conditions to improve in 2026.","length":509,"tagName":"p"},{"type":"text","content":""Uncertainty chilled dealmaking early in 2025, but momentum returned as the year progressed," said Jason Wallace, head of M&A at Citizens. "Recent megadeals are a clear signal of market strengt...