The 2026 Private Equity Value Creation Index highlights trends in AI and M&A among private equity leaders.
Quiver AI Summary
FTI Consulting, Inc. has released its 2026 Private Equity Value Creation Index, revealing insights from over 550 senior private equity leaders regarding value creation trends. The report highlights that artificial intelligence (AI) is significantly enhancing the speed of value generation, with 66% of respondents noting benefits from AI within a year. However, M&A has emerged as the primary value driver, climbing from the lowest rank last year to the top priority for private equity firms, despite being slower in delivering results. The study indicates that many private equity firms are achieving quicker outcomes, with 63% realizing measurable impact within 12 months. A notable performance gap exists between high-performing firms—who excel in executing AI and M&A strategies—and their peers. High performers are characterized by effective integration and disciplined application of resources, underlining the importance of structured approaches to value creation in the current market landscape.
Potential Positives
- FTI Consulting's 2026 Private Equity Value Creation Index highlights artificial intelligence as a key accelerator in value creation, showing the company's expertise in understanding and analyzing industry trends.
- The report indicates a significant increase in the speed of AI-driven results, with 66% of private equity leaders reporting benefits within 12 months, showcasing the growing importance of FTI's insights across the sector.
- M&A has shifted to the top value driver for private equity firms, suggesting that FTI's focus on strategic acquisitions aligns with current market demands and positions the company as a thought leader in this area.
- The identification of high performers in the report underscores FTI Consulting's ability to analyze performance metrics effectively, providing valuable insights that can help improve operational efficiency for clients.
Potential Negatives
- Despite reported improvements in the speed of AI-driven results, only 31% of firms experience efficient or mostly efficient AI implementation, indicating significant challenges in execution.
- M&A remains the slowest value creation lever, with only 25% of firms achieving results within 12 months, which may raise concerns about the effectiveness of the strategy.
- 35% of firms reported their M&A implementation as efficient or very efficient—the lowest efficiency rating among all levers, highlighting potential weaknesses in this critical area for growth.
FAQ
What is the 2026 Private Equity Value Creation Index?
The 2026 Private Equity Value Creation Index is a global survey analyzing value creation strategies among private equity leaders, examining trends in AI and M&A.
How is AI impacting private equity value creation?
AI is accelerating the speed of value creation, with 66% of firms reporting benefits within 12 months, a significant increase from previous years.
What are the top value drivers in private equity for 2026?
Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) have emerged as the top value driver, with firms increasingly prioritizing strategic acquisitions over organic growth.
What percentage of private equity firms achieve results from M&A within 12 months?
Only 25% of firms report achieving measurable results from M&A within 12 months, making it the slowest value creation lever.
Who are the high performers in the private equity sector?
High performers are firms that exceeded expected returns, representing about 40% of respondents, demonstrating effective use of AI and M&A strategies.
Disclaimer: This is an AI-generated summary of a press release distributed by GlobeNewswire. The model used to summarize this release may make mistakes. See the full release here.
$FCN Insider Trading Activity
$FCN insiders have traded $FCN stock on the open market 4 times in the past 6 months. Of those trades, 4 have been purchases and 0 have been sales.
Here’s a breakdown of recent trading of $FCN stock by insiders over the last 6 months:
- STEVEN HENRY GUNBY (CEO, Chairman and President) has made 2 purchases buying 10,000 shares for an estimated $1,441,707 and 0 sales.
- PAUL ALDERMAN LINTON (Chief Strategy/Transf. Officer) purchased 2,400 shares for an estimated $345,696
- EUN NAM (Chief Financial Officer) purchased 2,000 shares for an estimated $289,180
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$FCN Revenue
$FCN had revenues of $983.3M in Q1 2026. This is an increase of 9.47% from the same period in the prior year.
You can track FCN financials on Quiver Quantitative's FCN stock page.
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$FCN Hedge Fund Activity
We have seen 196 institutional investors add shares of $FCN stock to their portfolio, and 228 decrease their positions in their most recent quarter.
Here are some of the largest recent moves:
- MAWER INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT LTD. removed 994,723 shares (-43.1%) from their portfolio in Q1 2026, for an estimated $175,837,184
- MORGAN STANLEY removed 846,452 shares (-71.6%) from their portfolio in Q1 2026, for an estimated $149,627,320
- FIDUCIARY MANAGEMENT INC /WI/ added 823,713 shares (+inf%) to their portfolio in Q1 2026, for an estimated $145,607,747
- PRICE T ROWE ASSOCIATES INC /MD/ added 648,940 shares (+123.5%) to their portfolio in Q1 2026, for an estimated $114,713,123
- VICTORY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT INC added 503,885 shares (+44.6%) to their portfolio in Q4 2025, for an estimated $86,078,674
- M&T BANK CORP added 318,571 shares (+10081.4%) to their portfolio in Q4 2025, for an estimated $54,421,483
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Full Release
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.
Yet, M&A remains the slowest value creation lever, with only 25% of firms achieving results within 12 months. Execution also remains a constraint, with just 35% of firms describing M&A implementation as efficient or very efficient, the lowest among all levers.
High Performers Show Consistent Outperformance Across AI and M&A
This year, the report identified a high performer segment representing approximately 40% of respondents. These firms are defined as those that reported exceeding expected returns over the past 12 months. Across both AI and M&A, high performers report stronger outcomes than their peers.
“The firms outperforming in today's environment are those taking an increasingly active, structured approach to value creation”, said Diederick van der Plas , EMEA Co-Chairman and Head of EMEA Corporate Finance. “The results show that high performers deploy growth levers at nearly twice the rate of their peers, alongside AI-enabled execution and disciplined M&A."
Key findings include:
- 46% of high performers rate their M&A implementation as smooth, compared with 29% of other firms, reflecting stronger execution from deal thesis through integration.
- This execution advantage is associated with better M&A outcomes, underscoring that performance is driven by post-close delivery rather than deal volume.
- In AI, high performers are not adopting at materially higher rates, but they are more effective in generating results, with 19% of high performers reporting exceeding their AI business case, compared to 5% of others.
- The data suggests high performers apply AI more deliberately, embedding it into core value creation levers rather than treating it as a standalone initiative.
Read the full report here .
About the 2026 Private Equity Value Creation Index
The 2026 Private Equity Value Creation Index is based on a global survey of 555 senior private equity leaders across 14 countries, between January 19 and February 17, 2026. Respondents assessed nine commercial and operational value creation levers and two enablers, including artificial intelligence, across dimensions such as frequency of use, implementation, time-to-value, performance against business case and 2026 priorities.
About FTI Consulting
FTI Consulting, Inc. is a leading global expert firm for organizations facing crisis and transformation, with more than 8,100 employees located in 32 countries and territories as of March 31, 2026. In certain jurisdictions, FTI Consulting’s services are provided through distinct legal entities that are separately capitalized and independently managed. The Company generated $3.8 billion in revenues during fiscal year 2025. More information can be found at
www.fticonsulting.com
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