Still, 7,924 transactions representing $861 billion in value were announced in Q1 of 2026, marking the strongest start since 2021, according to S&P Global. M&A veterans we spoke with characterize the remainder of 2026 as promising for deals, even as they note that the playbook for pursuing them has changed. Intrigued, he reached out to the founder, whose company had developed software automating server infrastructure. The need to balance emotional intelligence with financial discipline surfaced repeatedly in conversations with dealmakers about the current M&A market. But your job as a CEO leading acquisitions is to understand what you’re actually getting and what you’re going to do with it.”