Financial services

The M&A market is roaring back to life. Global deal values reached $4.8 trillion in 2025—a 36% year-on-year increase—and 2026 is forecast to sustain this momentum with projected deal flow exceeding $3.9 trillion.

As 2025 closes with $2.3 trillion in M&A volume, professional services integrations illuminate where execution discipline separates success from the persistent 70% failure rate.

M&A integration is a vital yet often overlooked driver of deal success. Integration problems cause 83% of failed acquisitions. Growth plans and financial models look great on paper, but 70% of value loss in unsuccessful deals happens after integration.

The financial markets are undergoing their biggest transformation in decades. T+1 settlement will reduce transaction processing time by approximately 80%. UK firms must adapt to this fundamental change in financial transaction settlement by October 11, 2027.

U.S. stock markets went through the most important change in May 2024. The markets moved to a T+1 system that settles trades just one business day after execution. Market practices have come full circle to match those from about 100 years ago.

The U.S. Treasury clearing system faces its biggest change in decades. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approved a central clearing mandate in December 2023 that will revolutionize U.S.

Settlement cycles play a crucial role in securities transactions. These cycles mark the time between executing a trade and its final settlement. This simple concept shapes how financial markets work and affects everything from managing risks to making operations more effi