SS&C survey of 400 global M&A professionals signals dealmakers see opportunities to reallocate dry powder

SS&C Technologies Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: SSNC) today announced the publication of the SS&C Intralinks H1 2026 Global M&A Dealmakers Sentiment Report. In association with Reuters Events, SS&C Intralinks surveyed more than 400 global M&A dealmakers from private equity, advisory and corporate backgrounds to understand market challenges and opportunities.

"Today’s market landscape presents both formidable challenges and extraordinary opportunities for those prepared to navigate uncertainty with strategic precision," said Bob Petrocchi, Co-Head of SS&C Intralinks. "Early 2026 will favor strategic thinking, positioning and precise timing. Our research shows dealmakers are being more selective, positioning toward defensive sectors and prioritizing operational efficiency, reflecting lessons learned from recent market cycles.”

Key findings from the report include:

• 45% expect to see increased M&A and financing activity over the next six months, while 34% expect activity to lag in H1 2026.
• While deal delays and the challenges of deploying dry powder continue to proliferate, a significant majority of respondents expect postponed transactions to restart within 12 months.
• Increased cost of capital is the most cited reason behind deal delays, followed by market volatility, regulatory uncertainty and geopolitical risk.
• Middle-market deals are drawing most interest, with nearly half of the M&A respondents expecting to undertake transactions under USD 2 billion. Only 36% expect to work on deals above USD 10 billion.
• Private equity firms are favoring recession-proof sectors, with 53% of respondents expecting to deploy dry powder in sectors such as Healthcare and Utilities. Private credit also continues to draw interest (43%), as does the Defense sector (41%).

The report also highlights dealmaker priorities in the current environment:

• 56% are making investments to increase operational efficiency, including cloud computing and AI.
• 49% are expanding into new geographical markets. Most expect activity to increase in Europe.
• Dealmakers are focused on completing transactions before regulatory and tax conditions tighten. Other drivers of near-term M&A and financing activity include supply chain optimization, streamlining the organization and increasing market share.

Click here to read the full report.

SS&C Intralinks is a pioneer of the virtual data room, delivering AI-enabled services across the entire deal lifecycle, including deal marketing, deal prep, due diligence, insights and post-merger integration. Intralinks technology enables and secures the flow of information by facilitating M&A, capital raising and investor reporting. SS&C Intralinks has executed more than USD 35 trillion worth of financial transactions on its platform.

About SS&C Technologies

SS&C is a global provider of services and software for the financial services and healthcare industries. Founded in 1986, SS&C is headquartered in Windsor, Connecticut, and has offices around the world. More than 23,000 financial services and healthcare organizations, from the world's largest companies to small and mid-market firms, rely on SS&C for expertise, scale and technology.

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SS&C (Nasdaq: SSNC) is available at www.ssctech.com.

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"Today’s market landscape presents both formidable challenges and extraordinary opportunities for those prepared to navigate uncertainty with strategic precision," said Bob Petrocchi, Co-Head of SS&C Intralinks.