M&A May Be More Muted Than Expected in 2026, Kindler Says

Mergers and acquisitions may be more subdued than expected in 2026 as prices and volatility weigh on dealmaking, according to one of the top M&A lawyers.

“I actually do think it will be somewhat muted this year,” Robert Kindler, global chair of M&A at Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison, said in a Bloomberg TV interview Wednesday. “People need to do M&A, so there is a need for it, but with valuations so high it is difficult to do,” Kindler said, adding that volatility muddles execution.

That cautious outlook contrasts with the bullish narrative ...