EA is the biggest and most recent example, but other stocks have soared on M&A excitement this year, too. The bank said that the dollar value of M&A deals is up 29% year-over-year, while the number of deals being struck in 2025 has spiked 8%. The stocks are the most likely M&A targets among a group of 49 companies the bank considers candidates. "We expect IPO and M&A activity will increase in 2026 alongside accelerating US economic growth, improving CEO confidence, and a rising equity market," David Kostin, the bank's chief US equity strategist, wrote in the note. Here are the bank's most likely targets for dealmaking.