Global mergers and acquisitions surged in 2025, and Australian miners are well-positioned to benefit from the rebound, according to Bain & Company’s Global M&A Report 2026.
The report highlights a renewed appetite for bold, strategic deals that could reshape the industry’s growth trajectory. Global deal value jumped 40 per cent year-on-year to $US4.9 trillion, with strategic M&A up 42 per cent.
Bain & Company said the rebound was notably broad-based across industries and geographies, showing that even sectors facing long-term challenges are finding opportunity in transformative deals. For mining companies, this signals a chance to accelerate growth, capture high-value assets and strengthen market positions.
Mega deals were a key driver, accounting for more than 73 per cent of the increase in global deal value. Many were pursued by infrequent acquirers, reflecting a willingness to take bold, game-changing steps.
As Bain said “big-bet deals turn out to become make-or-break moves,” giving Australian miners the potential to secure transformative acquisitions that can define their next decade.
Technology is also opening new doors.
“AI’s role in dealmaking is everywhere,” Bain & Company’s report said. “According to our recent survey of more than 300 M&A executives, AI adoption for M&A more than doubled, to 45 per cent of practitioners, and its usage is more widespread across company types and within the M&A value chain.”
In mining, AI can help companies evaluate potential acquisitions, forecast operational efficiencies and unlock value across their portfolios.
Even as M&A competes with other capital priorities, the outlook is positive. Bain said that strategic deals allow companies to move confidently into new markets, expand capabilities and capture synergies that drive long-term growth.
Read more: Copper remains the prize as miners rethink mega-mergers
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