Goldman Sachs marked its strongest year last year as the investment firm reclaimed its position atop the global dealmaking league tables in 2025.
Sachs advised on $1.48T worth of mergers and acquisitions, capturing up to 32% of the market: the largest share in a year that witnessed an unprecedented surge in megadeals reshaping corporate consolidation across sectors.
M&A Record Year
Goldman’s win comes as both positioning and regulatory headwinds push the firm into record profits.
A total of 68 transactions worth $1.5T were completed – more than double the previous year’s volume and strongest period for deals since London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) records began in 1980.
Goldman advised on 38 of these transactions exceeding any other investment bank.
EMEA Dominance: Relationships
Goldman’s reach is unique in the EMEA.
Up to 44.7% of the market share, crossing M&A activity, went to the firm.
Goldman holds strong relationships with corporate boards and C-suites across regions, in addition to its ability to deploy global capital markets capabilities to facilitate cross-border transactions.
U.S. Regulatory Boost
The 2025 M&A boom is also thanks to U.S. policy shifts on antitrust policy.
Trump broke with the Biden administration’s control of merger regulation, instead opting to allow for a laxer policy on scrutinising M&A deals in the States.
In the first half of 2025, there has been a resurgence in large-scale transactions across the tech and AI sectors.
The FTC and DOJ, under Trump’s second term, signalled a return to a focussed traditional enforcement model. This shift has profound implications for digital and AI-focussed dealmaking, a key sector for Goldman.
Alignment with Goldman Deals on Tech
This policy shift is aligning with the tech industry.
A key example of this was the bidding war for Warner Bros Discovery, where Paramount-Skydance and Netflix, submitted competing bids valued at $108B and $99B respectively.
The acquisition saw three separate GCC SWFs compete for the Hollywood blockbuster: KSA’s PIF, Abu Dhabi’s L’imad Holding Company, and the QIA.
Sustainability Questions
Goldman’s entrenched market position reflects deep client relationships, strong execution, and alignment with U.S. regulatory approach.
Together it is a reflection of Goldman’s success in the EMEA whilst taking full advantage of U.S. policy alignment.
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