Discover the M&A Mexico H1 2026 outlook from IMAP’s global report: key trends, sectors, and insights from Gilberto Escobedo Aragonés, Partner at Serficor IMAP.
January – June 2026
IMAP Partner Global M&A Perspectives & Forecasts
Mexico
M&A Mexico H1 2026 continued to reflect a «quality over quantity» trend through the second quarter of the year, according to IMAP’s semi-annual Deal Summary H1 2026 report, in which Gilberto , participated as the expert voice representing Mexico.
While M&A deal volumes in Mexico declined by approximately 25–30% during the second quarter, aggregate transaction value increased significantly year-over-year, driven by several megadeals. This pattern confirms that although fewer deals are closing, the ones that do are considerably larger in size and value —Gilberto describes as central to understanding Mexico’s M&A market in 2026.
Mexico’s M&A market continued to reflect a «quality over quantity» trend through Q2 2026
Investor interest in the Mexico M&A market remained focused on three main areas: nearshoring opportunities, infrastructure projects, and financial sector consolidation. The Industrial and Consumer sectors accounted for the largest share of transactions, supported by ongoing global supply chain realignment and companies’ preparations ahead of the 2026 USMCA review.
At the same time, Mexico’s new antitrust legal framework, together with significantly tighter due diligence requirements — particularly in the Energy and Infrastructure sectors — is making transactions more challenging to execute. According to Gilberto, this doesn’t signal weaker appetite to invest in Mexico, but rather longer and more rigorous processes before a deal closes.
Global context: IMAP strengthens its position in the world ranking
Mexico’s outlook fits within a strong global picture for IMAP. During the first half of 2026, IMAP advisors closed 141 M&A transactions globally, worth more than USD $10 billion — one of the strongest performances in the network’s history. This result placed IMAP #4 in the global ranking of advisors by number of transactions closed, behind only PwC, Houlihan Lokey, and Rothschild, and ahead of firms such as Jefferies, EY, Morgan Stanley, KPMG, Goldman Sachs, and JP Morgan.
From a sector perspective, Industrials led IMAP’s global deal volume with 20% share, driven by infrastructure-adjacent demand and appetite for AI-enabled industrial technology. Consumer and Food & Beverage combined accounted for another 20%, while Services represented the largest cluster of activity overall, underpinned by durable recurring revenues and buy-and-build strategies.
Jurgis V. Oniunas, IMAP Chairman, summarized the state of the global M&A market this way: partners across the network agree that capital is available and strategic intent remains strong, but the standard of execution required to close deals has risen — buyers are more selective, processes are more demanding, and due diligence questions — including around AI resilience — are more searching than they were even a year ago.
What this means for business owners in Mexico
For Mexican companies considering a sale, merger, or capital raise, the report’s message is clear: capital and strategic interest exist, but the level of preparation the market now demands is higher than in previous years. Solid finances, clear corporate governance, and a well-documented growth thesis are, today more than ever, prerequisites for capturing the real value of this momentum.
At Serficor IMAP, with more than 35 years of experience advising Mexican business owners and multinationals, and a presence in more than 50 countries through the IMAP network, we help our clients navigate exactly this type of process — from initial preparation through deal close.
Isabella Quan
Serficor – IMAP Mexico
