APAC deal activity falls 8% YoY in first eight months of 2026 amid M&A slump, reveals GlobalData

Aurojyoti Bose, Lead Analyst at GlobalData, comments: "The downturn across the region was primarily driven by a noticeable pullback in M&A activity. The contraction in M&A volume reflects heightened strategic caution among acquirers navigating uncertain market conditions. However, resilient venture financing activity, alongside positive momentum in some of the key markets, helped cushion the broader regional decline."

An analysis of GlobalData's Financial Deals Database reveals that M&A experienced the sharpest volume contraction among all deal types, registering a 17% YoY decrease during the eight-month period. Private equity deal volume also faced headwinds, falling by 14% during January to August 2026 compared to the same period in 2025. Meanwhile, venture financing remained resilient amid macroeconomic volatility, generating a 4% YoY growth.

Geographic trends across the region revealed a slowdown, with several APAC markets recording double-digit YoY volume declines between January to August 2026. These contractions were observed in markets such as Japan (33%), Australia (17%) and Singapore (11%), among others. South Korea, Malaysia and Hong Kong also saw respective deal volume declining by 5%, 7% and 8%.

In contrast, China, the top APAC market by deal volume, registered a solid 10% YoY increase in deal activity. India also bucking the downtrend, posted a 3% YoY gain during January to August 2026.

Note: Historic data may change in case some deals get added to previous months because of a delay in disclosure of information in the public domain.