Merger and acquisition (M&A) activity across the wealth management industry saw the strongest movement ever recorded for the second quarter, found a new analysis this week from ECHELON Partners.

The 2Q 2026 RIA M&A Deal Report shows that 120 transactions were announced during the second quarter, exceeding the 102 deals announced during the same period in 2025, for a 17.6% increase over that timeframe. For Q2 2026, total transacted assets under management (AUM) reached $378 billion.