ECHELON Partners LLC (“ECHELON”) published a report for RIA and wealth management M&A Deals for Q1 of 2026 (the “Report”), analyzing M&A activity among Registered Investment Advisors in the wealth management industry. The Report shows that there were 142 total wealth management M&A deals announced in Q1 2026, surpassing the prior quarterly high of 125 set in both Q4 2024 and Q3 2025. The Report shows that Q1 2026 deal volume was 20.3% higher than the 118 transactions recorded in Q1 2025 and 57.8% higher than the 90 deals announced in Q1 2024, marking the third consecutive year of increases in Q1 deal activity. The Report highlights that 2026 is on pace to reach 475 total transactions, which would surpass the previous record of 466 set in 2025.
To read the article: please click here.