Global dealmaking surged in 2025, and Wall Street advisers say the momentum is far from over, Bloomberg writes.  After racking up roughly $4.5 trillion in mergers and acquisitions this year—the second-highest total on record—bankers and lawyers across industries predict 2026 could set a new hi gh, even as trade tensions and market volatility linger. Executives are increasingly confident about economic conditions, interest rate clarity and a regulatory environment they view as conducive to big transactions. Technology, telecommunications, energy and digital infrastructure are expected to remain major drivers, fueled by artificial intelligence, data center expansion and the need for scale. Advisers also foresee renewed megadeals, cross-border acquisitions and continued consolidation across banking, health care and industrial sectors.  Private equity firms, under pressure to deploy and return capital, are likely to add further fuel, alongside a gradual reopening of IPO exit routes. Taken together, dealmakers see a broad-based, global MA cycle with enough capital, confidence and strategic urgency to keep activity elevated well into next year.  Read the full story.  ...read more read less