Looking Ahead to 2026: Getting a Boost from the Great Rebound

Bain & Company (Jan 27, 2026) "Looking Ahead to 2026: Getting a Boost from the Great Rebound" reports 2025 marked a near-record rebound in M&A, with global deal value rising 40% to $4.9 trillion and a Bain survey of more than 300 M&A executives finding 80% expect to sustain or increase deal activity in 2026. The piece identifies three great forces reshaping business — technology disruption, post-globalization, and shifting profit pools — and argues 2026 will be the year companies move from awareness to action, revisiting strategic assumptions, rethinking portfolio boundaries and making bigger, bolder decisions about what capabilities they must own versus access. Direct relevance for SEA mid-market boards weighing inorganic moves into 2026.