NewsDialy
The IBBA and M&A Source released their Market Pulse Survey for the first quarter of 2026 on June 30, covering deal activity in businesses sold for up to $50 million.
The headline finding from Independence, Ohio-based organizations: the lower-middle market has registered artificial intelligence as a relevant factor but has not yet translated that awareness into repriced assets.
What the Market Pulse Survey Measures The Market Pulse Survey, produced jointly by the International Business Brokers Association (IBBA) and M&A Source, tracks conditions in the sub-$50 million business-sale market — a segment that rarely makes financial headlines but represents the broadest slice of private-company transactions in the United States.
For a portfolio manager or strategic acquirer, this survey functions as a leading indicator of sentiment among the dealmakers closest to Main Street: business brokers and M&A advisers who negotiate these transactions daily.
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