The M&A market failed to live up to expectations in 2024, but dealmakers are confident that the tide is finally turning. The private equity industry is experiencing déjà vu.
When the curtain began to close on the 2024 calendar year and M&A industry experts kicked off the tried and- true practice of prognosticating about the year ahead, there was an overwhelming sense of familiarity— predictions virtually identical to those made at the end of 2023. Though there are minor differences in what individual managers and investors expect from the marketplace in the coming months, dealmakers and advisors agree that everyone is still waiting for the surge of deal activity that was expected in 2024.