JPMorgan Chase Plans to Expand Dealmaking Team in Europe Ahead of Strong M&A Outlook for 2026
JPMorgan Chase & Co. is preparing to expand its dealmaking workforce across Europe as it anticipates a surge in mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity in 2026. The Wall Street banking giant expects improving investor confidence, lower interest rates, and stable credit conditions to create a favourable environment for global dealmaking.
According to Filippo Gori, JPMorgan’s co-head of global banking, the bank is actively hiring across multiple European markets. Speaking to Bloomberg, Gori said the firm has sufficient capital available and is focused on identifying the most attractive opportunities for deployment.
“We’re hiring in every country, pretty much across the region,” Gori said, adding that JPMorgan has “capital to deploy—it’s just a question of where best to deploy it.”
Investor Confidence Builds Across Europe
JPMorgan executives say investor sentiment across Europe has turned increasingly positive in early 2026. Gori noted that meetings with clients across the region have reflected growing optimism, particularly in Southern Europe, where economic growth is improving following years of post-financial-crisis restructuring.
The renewed confidence comes at a time when European banks are expressing concern that US lenders may further expand their footprint across the continent. Ongoing deregulation in the United States could enable American banks to allocate additional resources overseas, reinforcing their competitive advantage in European investment banking.
2026 Could Be One of the Best Years for M&A
JPMorgan believes 2026 has the potential to become one of the strongest years on record for mergers and acquisitions, both globally and in Europe. Lower borrowing costs, tight credit spreads, and readily available financing are expected to encourage companies to revive deals that were previously delayed.
“It could be one of the best years ever from an M&A standpoint,” Gori told Bloomberg. He added that easing interest-rate pressure is helping to narrow valuation gaps between buyers and sellers, a key factor in unlocking stalled transactions.
Earlier this week, JPMorgan reported its fourth-quarter earnings, which showed investment banking revenue slightly below expectations. Chief Financial Officer Jeremy Barnum explained that some deals were postponed and are now expected to close in 2026.
M&A Activity Shows Signs of Recovery
After several years of slowdown driven by high interest rates and valuation disagreements, M&A activity began to recover last year. Around $903 billion worth of deals were completed in Europe, representing an increase of about 9% compared to 2024, according to industry data.
Sectors expected to remain active include technology, energy, financial services, fintech, and infrastructure. JPMorgan also expects steady deal flow in the middle-market segment, with European firms continuing to pursue growth opportunities in the United States and US companies investing across Europe.
Risks Remain Despite Positive Outlook
While the outlook for dealmaking remains strong, JPMorgan cautioned that risks persist. Inflation pressures, geopolitical tensions, and potential disruptions to global supply chains could affect transaction volumes. The bank also noted that productivity gains from artificial intelligence may take longer than expected to materialise.
Additional uncertainty could arise from the potential end of an unusually long period of benign credit conditions, which could impact financing costs and investor appetite.
Despite these challenges, JPMorgan remains confident that the overall environment in 2026 will support a meaningful rebound in mergers and acquisitions activity across Europe
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