• Madison Street Capital’s H1 2026 lower middle market M&A report flagged a stabilizing market with capital shifting into fewer, larger deals.
• Aggregate US private equity deal value rose 10% from a year earlier despite lower deal counts, reflecting a sharper “flight to quality.”
• Valuations stayed firm, with EV/EBITDA about 6.4x for $3 million-$5 million EBITDA businesses, about 8.1x for $10 million+.
• Sponsored LBO purchase multiples averaged about 7.2x for $10 million-$500 million enterprise values, with consensus for flat multiples through 2026.
• Second-half outlook pointed to steady re-acceleration on expected rate cuts, dry powder deployment pressure, selectively reopening exits.

Disclaimer: This news brief was created by Public Technologies (PUBT) using generative artificial intelligence. While PUBT strives to provide accurate and timely information, this AI-generated content is for informational purposes only and should not be interpreted as financial, investment, or legal advice. Madison Street Capital LLC published the original content used to generate this news brief on July 22, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained therein.