KPMG's 2026 M&A Deal Market Study finds that three out of four private equity dealmakers expect higher transaction volumes this year compared to 2025. The survey reflects a market that has absorbed the interest rate environment and is moving forward with deployment, though with more attention to pricing discipline than in the pre-rate-shock era.

The study identifies healthcare services, regulated trades, and recurring-revenue businesses as the most competitive segments for PE buyers, with quality assets in these categories attracting multiple bids and testing valuation ceilings. Technology, financial services, and life sciences remain the most active sectors overall, consistent with the strategic M&A priorities that large corporations have maintained through the current cycle.

Forty-three percent of PE respondents say they would accept a slower deployment pace rather than overpay for assets in the current market. This dynamic is most visible in the lower middle market, where family-owned businesses and owner-operators are being evaluated more carefully than in the 2021-2022 peak cycle.

For business owners planning an exit in 2026 or 2027, the KPMG data offers both encouragement and a caution. Buyer appetite is real and backed by substantial capital. But buyers are selective, and the gap between a business that commands a strong multiple and one that does not is increasingly driven by documentation, financial clarity, and market positioning.

Business brokers who help sellers prepare this documentation and build online authority around high-value sectors are the ones closing deals in this environment. Effective business broker SEO services ensure that the right buyers find those listings.

Source: KPMG M&A Deal Market Study -- https://kpmg.com/us/en/articles/2026/kpmg-2026-m-a-outlook.html