Latest Corporate News
Global big-ticket M&A returns to pre‑pandemic levels
WTW’s latest Quarterly Deal Performance Monitor shows global M&A deals over $100 million rose for a second year, with 726 transactions in the past 12 months, up 2% from 2024. Completed deal value reached about $933 billion in 2025 (11% higher year-on-year), driven by a 14% jump in billion‑dollar transactions and record average large‑deal size of $2.9 billion in H2 2025.
D‑Wave to acquire Quantum Circuits in $550 million quantum computing deal
D‑Wave Quantum Inc. agreed to acquire Quantum Circuits Inc. for $550 million, paid as $300 million in stock and $250 million in cash, aiming to combine annealing and error‑corrected gate‑model technologies. The transaction, expected to close in late January pending regulatory and listing approvals, adds a New Haven R&D hub and is intended to accelerate a dual‑platform roadmap toward commercial gate‑model systems in 2026.
Hg to acquire finance software firm OneStream in $6.4 billion transaction
Private equity firm Hg is set to acquire OneStream, a leading enterprise finance management platform, in a deal valuing the company’s equity at approximately $6.4 billion. The acquisition, announced January 6, underscores strong sponsor interest in corporate performance management and cloud finance software as enterprises modernize financial planning and reporting.
Compass and Anywhere stockholders approve real estate brokerage merger
Shareholders of Compass, Inc. and Anywhere Real Estate Inc. voted overwhelmingly to approve all proposals related to their previously announced merger at special meetings held January 7. The combination, expected to close on January 9 subject to customary conditions, will create a larger residential brokerage platform with expanded national reach and technology capabilities.
National Bank Holdings completes acquisition of Vista Bancshares and Vista Bank
National Bank Holdings Corporation closed its acquisition of Vista Bancshares, Inc. and Vista Bank, increasing its total assets to roughly $12.6 billion. The deal expands NBHC’s footprint in Texas and is expected to enhance its commercial banking franchise and growth prospects in key regional markets.
Pharma M&A accelerates as patent cliffs loom, led by Amgen’s Dark Blue deal
Analysts forecast a “mega‑merger renaissance” in healthcare M&A for 2026, with projected global healthcare deal flow potentially reaching about $3.9 trillion as big pharma addresses impending patent expirations. Early in January, Amgen launched the year’s activity by agreeing to acquire Dark Blue Therapeutics for $840 million to strengthen its oncology and metabolic disease pipeline, highlighting intense competition for obesity and platform assets.
STAAR Surgical abandons planned sale to Alcon after shareholder opposition
STAAR Surgical announced it will terminate its proposed acquisition by Alcon after preliminary counts showed it failed to secure sufficient shareholder votes at a January 6 special meeting. The vote, originally scheduled for October 2025 and postponed four times, reflects investor resistance despite an amended merger agreement and ends the planned transaction.
Mid‑market M&A remains active across airlines, banking and tech services
Sector reports highlight continued mid‑market deal flow, including an all‑stock combination of regional carriers Republic Airways and Mesa Air Group to form a publicly traded airline, and a planned $8.6 billion all‑stock merger between Pinnacle and Synovus in U.S. banking. Additional activity includes IBM expanding cloud and AI migration capabilities via acquisitions, Rogers selling a 49.9% stake in a wireless network unit to Blackstone, and multiple tech and healthcare bolt‑ons.
Early‑year corporate earnings set tone in U.S. and Europe
Several U.S. consumer and tech companies, including Neogen, The Simply Good Foods Company, TD SYNNEX, WD‑40, and Helen of Troy, are releasing quarterly results that investors are watching for signals on margins, IT spending, and consumer demand. In Europe, major retailers such as Marks & Spencer and Tesco are reporting Christmas sales, providing key readouts on household spending and the health of the retail sector.
Asian markets pressured by tech stocks as Chinese AI firm Zhipu surges on debut
Asian equity trading saw the Nikkei 225 fall about 1.6%, led by declines in technology names including a sharp drop in SoftBank, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng fell around 1.2%. In contrast, Chinese AI company Zhipu, seen as an OpenAI rival, jumped as much as 15% above its offer price on its market debut, underscoring investor appetite for artificial intelligence plays.