M&A Is Heating Up. Is Your Dealmaking Still on Ice?

M&A activity is waking up, but many companies are reluctant to leap into the fray. Daniel Friedman, BCG’s global leader of transactions and integrations, explains why bold moves now could pay off. Waiting may feel safe, but the cost could be forfeiting once-in-a-decade opportunities. Learn More: Daniel Friedman: Mid-2025 M&A Insights: BCG’s Latest Thinking on M&A: BCG’s M&A Sentiment Index: Chapters: 00:00-02:56 Intro/Daniel’s ‘So What’ 02:57-04:34 What is different now vs. the beginning of the year? 04:35-06:13 How quickly will the market recover? 06:14-08:20 What regions and sectors are particularly active? 08:21-09:01What are risks that could impede recovery? 09:02-10:26 What is wrong with waiting on the sidelines? 10:27-12:00 Do downturn deals tend to deliver more value than boom time deals? 12:01-13:25 What can a company to do ensure that it finds the right deal? 13:26-17:02 How has M&A changed in a more uncertain world? 17:03-18:03 How will AI evolve? 18:04-19:45 What are the winners doing right in this new environment? 19:46-21:16 The ‘Now What’ 21:17-21:33 Outro This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podtrac -

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M&A Is Heating Up. Is Your Dealmaking Still on Ice? is an episode from The So What from BCG by Boston Consulting Group BCG.

This episode is 21:33 long.

This episode was published on Sep 10, 2025.

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