AI Speeds Up Returns in Private Equity as M&A Becomes Top Value Generator for Firms

FTI Consulting’s 2026 Value Creation Index Shows Faster Time-to-Value Across Levers, But Execution Gaps Persist

WASHINGTON, June 04, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FTI Consulting, Inc. (NYSE: FCN) today released its 2026 Private Equity Value Creation Index, a global survey of more than 550 senior private equity leaders, which found that artificial intelligence (“AI”) is accelerating the speed of value creation, while mergers and acquisitions (“M&A”) has emerged as the industry’s top value driver despite taking longer to deliver results.

“Private equity leaders can no longer rely on a single lever for value creation. The data shows that AI is delivering faster outcomes, but it’s most effective when embedded into core operational and commercial initiatives,” said Scott Bingham, Global Co-Leader of Transactions at FTI Consulting. “At the same time, M&A has re-emerged as the leading value driver, rewarding firms that treat integration and execution as a core capability.”

Overall, private equity firms are delivering results more quickly, with 63% of respondents achieving measurable impact within 12 months, up from 41% last year. This shift is attributed to the need to generate value faster which is leading to earlier execution during diligence and the increased use of standardized playbooks and technology.

AI: Time-to-Value Doubles as Firms Move from Experimentation to Execution
The survey found a significant increase in the speed of AI-driven results, with 66% of respondents reporting AI-related benefits within 12 months, up from 34% last year. This improvement reflects a shift toward applying AI to a narrower set of established use cases tied to core value creation levers.

Despite faster results, implementation remains uneven. Only 31% of firms report efficient or mostly efficient AI implementation, while the majority describe outcomes as mixed or difficult.

M&A: From Lowest Priority to #1 Value Lever
M&A recorded the most notable shift in this year’s survey, rising from the lowest-ranked lever in 2025 to the top priority for private equity firms in 2026. With organic growth harder to come by, strategic acquisitions have become a primary growth engine. In fact, 51% of respondents report exceeding their M&A business case, one of the top-ranked levers to do so. Respondents who ranked M&A as the top value generator also increased from 7% to 24% year over year.

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