The financial media wants you to believe the M&A market is dead.
Headlines scream about economic uncertainty, rising interest rates, and geopolitical tensions.
Meanwhile, buyers just closed $988 billion worth of deals in Q2 alone.
Which story should you believe as a business owner considering your exit strategy?
I’ve been offering M&A services for 25 years. With over 40 years of business experience and 35 years involved in business transfers, I’ve seen plenty of market cycles and learned to separate real data from fear-mongering headlines.
The Q2 PitchBook Global M&A Report 2025 delivers facts that should give you confidence if you’re considering selling your business.
Let me walk you through what this report really means for you as a business owner.
Key Takeaways:
- The Global M&A Report 2025 shows $2.0 trillion in deal activity – buyers are actively pursuing quality businesses
- Deal volumes increased 13.6% year-over-year, proving market strength despite negative headlines
- Your business could benefit from cross-border buyer interest and competitive dynamics
- Current valuation multiples have recovered to fair levels that reward well-run companies
- Market timing favors prepared sellers who act now rather than wait for “perfect” conditions
The Numbers Don’t Lie – Buyers Are Active
Despite all the fear, uncertainty, and doubt circulating in business media, the Global M&A Report 2025 paints a very different picture. Deal value hit $2.0 trillion in the first half of 2025 alone. That’s not a market in retreat – that’s a market with serious buyer appetite.
Your business operates in this environment where 24,793 transactions closed in just six months. Buyers completed deals worth $988 billion in Q2, up 13.4% from last year. When I see these numbers, I know there are motivated acquirers out there looking for businesses like yours.
The deal count tells an even better story for sellers. More transactions mean more competition among buyers, which drives better terms and higher valuations for quality businesses.
Think about it this way: if the market were truly weak, would we see over 12,000 deals closing in a single quarter? Absolutely not.
Your International Appeal Has Never Been Higher
Here’s something the Global M&A Report 2025 reveals that most business owners don’t realize: European buyers deployed $113.2 billion targeting North American companies in the first half of 2025. They outspent US buyers on American targets by $20.7 billion.
What does this mean for you? Your potential buyer pool just got significantly larger and more competitive.
European companies have access to cheaper capital right now. The ECB cut rates twice in Q2 while our Federal Reserve held steady. This gives overseas buyers a financing advantage that often translates into higher offers for your business.
I’ve personally worked deals where international buyer interest drove valuations 15-20% higher than domestic-only processes. The Global M&A Report 2025 shows this trend is accelerating.
You shouldn’t limit your thinking to local or national buyers when international acquirers are actively seeking quality American businesses.
Technology Businesses Are Commanding Premium Attention
If you operate any kind of technology business – and these days, most companies have significant tech components – the Global M&A Report 2025 should get your attention. Technology deals generated $255.1 billion in Q2, surging 37.1% year-over-year.
The sector maintained the top momentum score of 0.99, meaning buyers are actively competing for tech-enabled businesses. This includes software companies, technology services, and traditional businesses with strong digital capabilities.
Major deals like Cox Communications’ $34.5 billion merger with Charter Communications show that buyers will pay significant premiums for businesses with technology advantages and market positions.
Even if you don’t consider yourself a “tech company,” buyers increasingly value businesses that have invested in digital capabilities, automated processes, and technology-enabled customer relationships.
The Valuation Environment Works in Your Favor
One concern I hear from business owners is whether they can achieve fair valuations in the current market. The Global M&A Report 2025 provides reassuring data on this front.
EV/EBITDA multiples have recovered to 9.3x on a trailing 12-month basis. That’s up significantly from the 8.7x trough we saw in 2022. More importantly, these multiples reflect real market conditions rather than artificial peaks.
EV/revenue multiples sit at 1.5x, right in line with historical norms. This tells me that buyers are paying rational prices based on business fundamentals, not speculative premiums.
From my experience, these multiple ranges allow well-run businesses to achieve valuations that properly reward the value you’ve built over years of hard work.
The key is positioning your business correctly and working with advisors who understand how to present your story to maximize buyer interest.
Materials and Resources Businesses See Unexpected Strength
Perhaps the biggest surprise in the Global M&A Report 2025 was materials and resources climbing from dead last to second place in sector momentum. If you operate in manufacturing, distribution, chemicals, or related industries, this reversal should catch your attention.
The sector achieved a momentum score of 0.69, driven by activity in mining, chemicals, and industrial businesses. While everyone focused on technology deals, smart buyers quietly pursued materials companies at attractive valuations.
This pattern often creates opportunities for business owners who move quickly. When sector sentiment shifts this dramatically, early movers typically achieve better outcomes than those who wait for the trend to become obvious.
If you run a materials, manufacturing, or industrial business, current market conditions may offer a better exit window than you realize.
Private Equity Remains Hungry for Quality Deals
The Global M&A Report 2025 shows that private equity firms backed 34.3% of all transactions by count, but 42.4% by value. This tells me that financial sponsors are pursuing larger deals while maintaining selectivity.
For you as a business owner, this creates real advantages. Private equity buyers often move faster than strategic acquirers and provide more transaction certainty. They’re less likely to walk away due to integration concerns or changing corporate priorities.
PE firms are sitting on record amounts of uninvested capital that needs deployment. This dry powder creates natural demand for quality businesses across all size ranges.
I’ve found that having both strategic and financial buyers interested in your business typically produces the best outcomes for sellers.
Cross-Border Interest Creates Competitive Dynamics
The international buyer activity documented in the Global M&A Report 2025 creates opportunities that many business owners overlook. When European, Canadian, or other foreign buyers compete with US acquirers, it typically drives better terms and higher valuations.
Foreign buyers often have different strategic priorities than domestic acquirers. What might be a “nice to have” acquisition for a US company could be a “must have” platform for international expansion.
I’ve seen deals where international buyers paid premiums of 20-30% over domestic offers because the business provided crucial market access or capabilities they couldn’t replicate internally.
The currency dynamics and financing advantages that foreign buyers currently enjoy make them particularly aggressive competitors in today’s market.
Timing Considerations You Can’t Ignore
Business owners often ask me about perfect timing for exits. The truth is, perfect timing doesn’t exist. But the Global M&A Report 2025 shows that current conditions are about as favorable as you’re likely to see.
Deal activity is strong, valuations have recovered to fair levels, and buyer competition is driving good terms for sellers. Credit markets have adapted to higher interest rates, reducing financing risk.
What concerns me is that these favorable conditions won’t last indefinitely. Economic cycles, regulatory changes, and competitive dynamics all influence market attractiveness over time.
The businesses that achieve the best outcomes are typically those that sell from positions of strength rather than necessity. If your business is performing well and you’re considering an exit within the next few years, current conditions deserve serious consideration.
What This Means for Your Decision
After reviewing the Global M&A Report 2025 and comparing it to current market conditions, I believe business owners face a genuine window of opportunity. The combination of strong buyer demand, fair valuations, and competitive dynamics creates an environment where prepared sellers can achieve attractive outcomes.
But preparation is the key word here. The market rewards quality businesses with clean financials, diversified customer bases, strong management teams, and clear competitive advantages.
If your business has these characteristics and you’ve been thinking about an exit strategy, the data suggests that moving forward makes sense. Waiting for “perfect” conditions often means missing good opportunities.
The Global M&A Report 2025 provides concrete evidence that current market conditions favor sellers who are ready to act.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if my business is ready for the current market conditions shown in the Global M&A Report 2025?
Quality businesses with recurring revenue, diversified customers, and strong management typically perform well. Clean financials and documented processes are table stakes in today’s market.
Should I be concerned about the economic uncertainty despite positive data in the Global M&A Report 2025?
Buyers are completing deals despite uncertainty, which shows they see value in current opportunities. Waiting for perfect economic conditions often means missing good markets.
How important is international buyer interest mentioned in the Global M&A Report 2025?
Very important. Cross-border buyers often pay premiums and create competitive dynamics that benefit sellers. Don’t limit your process to domestic buyers only.
What sectors are performing best according to the Global M&A Report 2025?
Technology leads, but materials and resources surprised everyone by jumping to second place. Most sectors show reasonable activity levels for quality businesses.
How long do current favorable conditions typically last?
Market cycles are unpredictable, but the Global M&A Report 2025 suggests continued strength through year-end. Acting from strength usually produces better outcomes than waiting.
The data in the Global M&A Report 2025 supports what I’m seeing in my practice: this is a genuinely good time to be a seller if your business is properly positioned.
Are you ready to explore what your business might be worth in today’s strong market conditions?
Schedule a confidential market review to understand how current trends could benefit your exit strategy.
