LATEST DATA: Q1 2026
Private equity deals were fewer but bigger in the first quarter
Despite the optimism sources shared with PE Hub heading into the year, the volume of completed private equity deals globally remained low in the first quarter. Value, on the other hand, rose considerably, pushed up by big-ticket deals. The data reinforces the notion that A-list assets are finding buyers in the market, but less stellar ones are still struggling to sell.
Dealmaking activity in Q1 2026 came in with a modest total of 990 closed deals, according to PE Hub’s analysis of S&P Global Market Intelligence data. Factors that slowed dealmaking down included AI disruption and oil price volatility due to the ongoing conflict between the US/Israel and Iran, according to our sources.
PREVIOUS DATA
Q4 private equity-backed completed global deal volume marked weakest finish in five years
Not only are fourth quarters usually stronger, they are usually the strongest quarter of their years. This was not the case in 2025.
Private equity dealmaking showed early signs of rebound in Q3
Sources told PE Hub they expected an uptick in deals in the second half – the latest numbers suggest that optimism was warranted.
Q2 2025: Worst quarter for private equity deal volume since Q2 2020
Tariff turmoil took a considerable toll on completed PE transactions.
Q1 2025: Deal activity dips as uncertainties rise
Some of the biggest deals that closed in Q1 were in the TMT sector: Silver Lake bought Endeavor for about $10bn; IBM bought HashiCorp for $8.1bn; Blackstone and Vista bought Smartsheet for $7.9bn.
Q4 2024 deals: Industrials and TMT led dealmaking
Every quarter in 2024 was better than the last. M&A ended the year on a strong, positive note, with the industrials and TMT sectors representing a bulk of the dealmaking.
