BDO Horizons 2026 H1

Original content provided by BDO

Welcome to the first edition of Horizons in 2026, written by our own BDO M&A professionals around the world. 

We start the year looking back at 2025 to help us draw the perspectives for the year ahead. The overall data shows that activity in the mid-market has suffered a drop in volume among a turmoil of geopolitical tension, which has not helped executives plan for the long term.

The number of rumored transactions for the months ahead hovers close to 6,000, which is similar to the previous 2 years and we expect North America to continue being the hotspot of activity.

With geopolitical tensions and tariffs still being the key themes of our current environment, we approach 2026 with caution, but with hope, due to the high levels of available cash to invest and the inherent resilience of the mid-market.