As part of the Financial Times’ prestigious Global Boardroom digital conference, SS&C Intralinks’ Senior Vice President and Co-General Manager Ken Bisconti joined JP Morgan’s Anu Aiyengar, global head of advisory and mergers & acquisitions, and Thoma Bravo’s Irina Hemmers, partner and head of London office, for a thought-provoking discussion on the critical factors poised to shape mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in the next 12 months. The session — “M&A: Can 2025 deliver a long-awaited rebound in activity?” — focused on the economic, geopolitical and regulatory trends impacting dealmaking today, as well as the emerging technologies that are disrupting the industry. The panel of experts shared perspectives on the sectors that will be best positioned for growth next year, what central bank policy changes could mean for M&A, the influence of the 2024 U.S. election’s outcome on the global regulatory landscape, and why mega-deals may continue to lead the market. Below are some highlights from the discussion.
Bisconti opened the conversation with an overview of current key trends and an outlook for the state of M&A in 2025. The insights were based on M&A data from the Intralinks platform, which serves 5.5 million users across the financial services ecosystem.
JP Morgan’s Anu Aiyengar discussed the potential impact of the 2024 U.S. election on the future of M&A:
Additionally, Aiyengar commented on the geopolitical factors impacting global dealmaking:
Thoma Bravo’s Irina Hemmers shared perspectives on the future of private equity (PE) and the opportunities for dealmakers in the sector:
Hemmers also shared her insights on the expected regulatory and policy changes in Europe and the U.K. in 2025:
The boom in the private credit space was another big topic of conversation among dealmakers in 2024. Aiyengar shared her thoughts on private credit’s role in financing and her expectations for the sector in 2025:
Conclusion
As we enter 2025, optimism is shaping the dealmaking outlook. The combination of the easing of inflationary pressures and declining interest rates in several territories are setting the stage for an anticipated rebound in M&A. While the path to normalization presents challenges, the panel agreed that many fundamentals required for an uptick in inorganic growth are largely in place.