From transaction volume to EBITDA multiples, key indicators for plastics M&A are trending upward as 2026 begins, according to PMCF Investment Banking Managing Director John Hart.
In an interview with Plastics News on the 2026 M&A outlook, Hart noted that plastics M&A improved throughout 2025.
“There are always positives and negatives in the market, but we’re seeing gradual improvement as we come into 2026,” PMCF’s Hart said. “We’re seeing some nice momentum and transactions getting done.”
Based on PMCF’s Plastics M&A proprietary data and industry updates, Hart told Plastics News that there were an estimated 420 transactions in the industry in 2025, up about 5 percent compared to 2024.
The article, which reviews specialty plastics sectors including distribution, rubber/composites, injection molding, film and sheet, thermoforming and end markets, also discusses recent private equity interest in the industry. Hart also said EBITDA multiples for plastics deals have continued to improve since peaking in 2021, after declines in 2022 and 2023.
“We’ve been seeing gradual improvement in plastics M&A throughout 2025,” Hart said. “The tariff situation set us back in the first quarter, but that was short-lived and the market’s been improving.”
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