Put this one in the category of confirming what we’d suspected all along. Dealmaking was back in 2024.
In its annual Global M&A Report, PitchBook found that deals in North America were up 9.8% YoY by count and 16.4% by value, after tallying more than 17,500 deals collectively valued at more than $2 trillion last year.
Dealmaking was also up in the US. Large M&A deals ($100+ million) increased 7% YoY to $1.67 trillion in total value, and deal volume increased 17% YoY to just over 1,500, according to data that EY provided to CFO Brew.
The M&A market in Europe saw YoY increases of 29.2% in deal value and 17.5% in volume, according to PitchBook.
“Global M&A activity achieved robust growth in 2024, fueled by more supportive macroeconomic conditions and stabilizing valuations,” Garrett Hinds, senior analyst of private equity at PitchBook, wrote in the report.
Looking ahead. Both EY and PitchBook predicted another strong M&A market in 2025. In EY’s latest Merger Monthly, Mitch Berlin, EY Americas vice chair of strategy and transactions, wrote that “further momentum” in dealmaking is likely due to falling interest rates, a strong economy, and “substantial uninvested capital,” among other factors.
“We are encouraged to see a broad-based recovery in dealmaking across geographies as well as a favorable setup for continued growth into 2025,” Hinds noted in the PitchBook report.
Experts also told CFO Brew the November presidential election should provide a boost to M&A, if for no other reason than the added certainty that settled elections bring to the market.
News built for finance pros
CFO Brew helps finance pros navigate their roles with insights into risk management, compliance, and strategy through our newsletter, virtual events, and digital guides.