M&A Surge: Riding a Wave of Optimism or Desperation?

In late March 2024, Pepper Foster Consulting surveyed 115 US-based C-level and senior executives at companies with over 5,000 employees. All of those surveyed had visibility to and knowledge of their organization’s plans for M&A. The survey covered growth pressure, current M&A activity, key drivers, M&A focus, and deal size.

Under pressure to grow and increase margins, business leaders are embracing M&A as a strategic imperative. There is an unprecedented surge of activity towards and optimism for M&A for 2024 and 2025.

An astonishing 85.2% of respondents said that their organizations are actively pursuing or seeking M&A opportunities. Another 11.3% are considering M&A.

The high percentage of large US organizations actively pursuing or seeking deals suggests a mad rush to close deals may be on the horizon. Balancing the desire for growth against tolerance for risk will be critical and the linchpin in securing deals and realizing value.