Global M&A deal value up 47% in H1 2026 amid supply chain push, reveals GlobalData
Global mergers and acquisitions (M&A) deals hit $1.7 trillion in the first half (H1) of 2026, up 47% from H1 2025, helped by a steady fall in interest rates and the impact of US tariffs on global supply chains. With $221 billion in supply chain-related transactions across 34 deals, covering sectors such as industrials, consumer, and materials, supply chain resilience was a key theme driving M&A momentum, reveals GlobalData, a leading intelligence and productivity platform.
GlobalData’s latest Strategic Intelligence report, “Global M&A Deals in H1 2026 – Top Themes by Sector: Strategic Intelligence,” reveals that in H1 2026, the combined value of mega-deals, defined as transactions valued at $1 billion or more, rose by 59% to $1.4 trillion, up from $0.8 trillion in H1 2025.
Priya Toppo, Strategic Intelligence Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Geopolitical friction, evolving trade policies, structural labor constraints, stringent sustainability directives, and rapid technological adoption continue to drive M&A activity centered on supply chain strengthening. Companies across key verticals—most notably industrials, consumer goods, materials, and technology, media, and telecommunications (TMT)—are aggressively targeting capabilities that deliver supply chain localization, end-to-end visibility, and operational agility.”
The biggest supply chain deal was Unilever’s foods business merging with McCormick for $44.8 billion. It was followed by Sysco’s acquisition of Jetro Cash & Carry for $29.1 billion and QXO’s acquisition of TopBuild for $17 billion.
Toppo continues: “An ongoing trend is the dominance of North America in M&A deal activity, accounting for 1,006 deals worth $1.1 trillion in H1 2026. On the other hand, China and the Middle East and Africa, saw a YoY decline in deal value.”
Looking toward the second half of 2026, transactional sentiment remains selectively bullish, bolstered by anticipated monetary easing and corporate adaptation to revised trade frameworks.
