Wall Street giant Goldman Sachs has managed more than USD 1 trillion worth of announced mergers and acquisitions (M&A) so far in 2026, creating a record pace, in the process, for any investment bank within a half-year period.
It is worth mentioning that the investment bank recently managed SpaceX’s landmark initial public offering (IPO) as lead left underwriter. It also acted as a co-financial advisor to power company Dominion Energy in its sale to NextEra Energy in a USD 66.8 billion deal announced in May 2026.
In a LinkedIn post, CEO David Solomon said global M&A volumes have already exceeded USD 2.6 trillion in 2026, with AI and strategic consolidation actively reshaping industries, while trading volumes have reached all-time highs as clients navigate a range of risk events.
Goldman Sachs’ latest achievement also strengthens the hopes of the Wall Street executives in terms of anticipating 2026 to be the “strong year” for M&A despite uncertainty stemming from the Middle East conflict due to a softer regulatory environment under US President Donald Trump and growing momentum in AI.
As per Goldman’s internal projections, which became public in April this year, “pure M&A volume” could hit USD 3.8 trillion in 2026 due to several factors, including the impact of AI and increased selling of portfolio companies by private equity firms.
“Even though uncertainty in the global economy is running high, CEOs are eager to use deals to bolster long-term ‘terminal value’ with the advent of AI,” the venture stated back then.
CEOs and boards are taking a long-term strategic view, despite the complex backdrop, to capture scale and amplify their competitive advantages. This momentum is playing out globally, with active dialogues continuing across all sectors and transaction sizes,” Matt McClure, global co-head of investment banking at Goldman Sachs, told Reuters.
Goldman’s investment banking fees rose to USD 2.84 billion in the first quarter, a 48% jump from a year ago. Shares of the bank, on the other hand, have gained about 24% so far in 2026. The venture has retained its top ranking for global M&A advisor in 2026 after securing the spot in 2025, according to Dealogic data. JPMorgan Chase occupies the second position.