(28 May 2026 – United States) JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon has floated the prospect of a US$20 billion acquisition as the group seeks to deploy billions in surplus capital freed up by the Trump administration’s relaxed approach to banking regulation.
Dimon did not stipulate what type of company the bank would acquire with JPMorgan prohibited from purchasing another deposit taking institution given it controls over 10 percent of US deposits already.
In 2024, the largest bank M&A by value took over a year to close on average, much longer than smaller deals. In a sharp reversal, the biggest deals are now taking the fewest days to be finalised according to Brean Capital. Year to date, the average time to close a deal valued at $500 million or more is a mere 126 days, That’s nearly one-third of the time that deals in that size category took to close in 2024, when the average number of days was 369
“I do think there might be, in the next couple years, a chance to put US$10 or US$20 billion to work buying something, And when we do that, we’ll explain to you why we think it’s a great purchase. Prices are high, including JPMorgan stock. We’re quite patient with capital. It’s not burning a hole in our pocket at all” Dimon commented.
Bain reports that Q1 2026 saw a steady rise in global M&A activity, with overall deal value and volume growing 28 percent and nine percent, respectively, year-on-year.
“In 2026 and beyond, companies will make bolder moves to double down on parts of their global footprint and minimise exposure to others, M&A and divestiture will be critical tools to rapidly execute that realignment. M&A leaders will revisit foundational strategic assumptions, rethink portfolio boundaries and make bigger, bolder decisions about what capabilities they must own vs access, M&A will play a central role in this transition” stated Bain Partner, Dale Stafford.