Andersen’s European Corporate and M&A practice has published the latest edition of European Corporate Insights. In this new issue, we analyse the key factors for staying up to date with the current state of the M&A and private equity market in Europe, the results for the fourth quarter of 2025 and the most active sectors in each jurisdiction, as well as the outlook for 2026.
These are the key ideas covered in the guide:
- European M&A activity reached approximately €322bn across 3,703 transactions in Q1, confirming solid deal value despite moderated volumes.
- Private equity recorded around €44bn across 1,278 deals, with capital deployment remaining disciplined and selective.
- The gap between deal value and transaction volume stands out as a key feature of the quarter, reflecting a market driven by larger transactions.
- The UK maintained its leadership, followed by Germany, Italy and Spain, with activity concentrated in core European markets.
- Sector activity was led by Financials, Industrials and Technology, alongside continued interest in energy-related assets.
- Looking ahead, dealmaking is expected to gradually strengthen through 2026, driven by high-quality opportunities rather than a broad-based recovery.
You can download the full document here.
