Highlights
- Amid tariff uncertainty, inflation, and energy shocks, M&A activity in the Americas remained resilient in Q1.
- Dealmaking remains selective, mostly surrounding itself around AI where strategic urgency is highest.
- AI continues to influence multiple sectors outside of TMT, like energy and infrastructure, but TMT is still the biggest magnet for capital.
- Megadeals are still doing the heavy lifting, while the middle market lags behind.
The mood is defiant. Despite tariff whiplash and the Hormuz-driven energy shock, the M&A market is riding high on a wave of AI capital. Despite inflation sticking at 3.1% and consumer sentiment sinking, megadeals have pushed total M&A value to its strongest Q1 on record - up 35.6% year-on-year to US $821bn.
Yet across the continent, the picture is more mixed. The Western US is running hottest, on AI mega-rounds, while Mexico is booming on nearshoring. Argentina meanwhile is staging the most dramatic turnaround. But Canada is cooling, Brazil is bracing for elections, and mid-market activity across the region remains subdued.
With the landscape continuously reshaping itself, strong market intelligence is more valuable than ever. Anchor yours in the outlook of Deal Drivers: Americas Q1 2026, produced by Datasite in partnership with Mergermarket.
Map prospective deal activity and gain insights across:
- Canada
- Western US
- Midwestern US
- Southern US
- Northeastern US
- Brazil
- Mexico
- Argentina
- Latin America & the Caribbean (excl. Brazil)
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