David Solomon, the Chairman and CEO of Goldman Sachs, expressed strong confidence that Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) and Initial Public Offering (IPO) activity will continue to accelerate.
Acceleration in Deals and IPOs
Speaking at the Future Investment Initiative (FII) in Riyadh, Solomon noted a significant shift in the regulatory environment and corporate confidence. Previously, when CEOs considered large, strategic deals, the answer to “Can we?” was generally “No.” Now, that response has evolved to “Maybe” or even “Potentially yes,” a change that has made CEOs much more strategically active.
Solomon projects this momentum will continue, stating, “We’re seeing an incredible pickup in M&A activity,” which he expects to carry through into 2026 and 2027. Similarly, he believes the IPO market is “wide open” for businesses globally, with activity rapidly increasing. He stressed that “Good businesses priced appropriately will do well.”
His confidence is supported by Goldman Sachs’ own performance, as the firm topped the global M&A league tables with over $1 trillion in deal value in the first nine months of 2025. They also led the M&A league table in the MENA region, reflecting their strong ties, particularly their deep partnership with Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, PIF.
Economic Outlook
Regarding the broader economy, Solomon stated he does “not see a lot of compelling evidence for an economic slowdown in the near term.” While acknowledging that confidence can change rapidly and that a distribution of possibilities always exists, he concluded that there are no obvious events on the horizon that could trigger a significant economic shift in the next six to twelve months.
Click here for more on Finance and Investing
