Global Consumer, Energy M&A Trends Show Mixed Q1 2025 Activity

The first half of 2025 has seen significant shifts in global merger and acquisition (M&A) activity across various sectors and regions. The consumer sector experienced remarkable growth with $75 billion in deals during Q1 2025, an 84% increase from the previous year, driven by a surge in mega-deals valued over $1 billion. In contrast, the energy sector saw a slight decline in deal value, dropping 5% to $107 billion, highlighting differing market dynamics. Regionally, European and Asia Pacific dealmakers have outperformed expectations with increased deal quality and volume, particularly driven by a near tripling of Chinese-led deals, while North America faces a substantial decline with its lowest deal volume in four years and continued underperformance. Portugal's legal deals market also faced a downturn in volume and value, although high-value transactions like Boliden's acquisition of Somincor stood out. Additionally, the creator economy has experienced a 73% surge in M&A activity, primarily in North America, with software companies being the most common targets, reflecting ongoing consolidation in this evolving sector.