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ARTICLE · 17 DECEMBER 2025

Policy Reforms And Economic Tailwinds Drive Global M&A Higher

A&O Shearman
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Welcome to the latest edition of M&A insights, where we explore the forces shaping transactional activity and predict what will drive dealmaking in the year to come.

GlobalCorporate/Commercial Law
David Broadley
David Broadley
Dirk Meeus
Dirk Meeus
Scott Petepiece
Scott Petepiece
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Welcome to the latest edition of M&A insights, where we explore the forces shaping transactional activity and predict what will drive dealmaking in the year to come.

Megadeals return as global M&A hits four-year high

Aggregate deal value rises sharply to levels not seen since 2021

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M&A data for 2025 reveals more confidence among market participants to execute big-ticket transactions in the second half of the year, including the battle to acquire one of the biggest names in Hollywood, which if approved will be one of the largest M&A transactions in history.

Deal count for the first six months of 2025 was the lowest H1 total since 2020. However, deal value remained robust at USD1.93 trillion, up 20% on H2 2024 and the highest H1 figure for three years.

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