LatAm M&A Value Jumps as Mexico Payments Grow

This week in finance news: According to the latest report from TTR Data and Datasite, Latin America registered 280 mergers and acquisitions (M&A) transactions through February, representing a 43% decline in volume but a 59% increase in aggregate value to US$14.3 billion. Meanwhile, Umar Farooq of JPMorgan Chase said Mexico’s expansion of real-time payment platforms and its fintech ecosystem is strengthening the country’s role in global trade finance and financial services. Separately, GBM hosted Mujeres que Construyen Patrimonio (Women Who Build Wealth), led by Miriam Acuña, GBM’s chief economist, on the occasion of International Women’s Day on March 8.

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Latin America M&A Value Jumps 59% Despite Deal Slump

The Latin American transactional market recorded a significant increase in deal value during the first two months of 2026, despite a decline in the total number of operations. According to the latest report from TTR Data and Datasite, the region registered 280 mergers and acquisitions (M&A) transactions through February, representing a 43% decline in volume but a 59% increase in aggregate value to US$14.3 billion. In February alone, 115 transactions were announced or completed, totaling US$9.3 billion. This trend toward higher-value deals highlights a shift in investor strategy toward larger, strategic assets rather than broad-based market expansion. The largest cross-border transaction of the month involved GE Vernova completing the acquisition of the remaining 50% stake in Prolec GE from Mexican company Xignux for US$5.2 billion.

Mexico Rising as Cross Border Payments Hub

Mexico is emerging as a strategic hub for cross-border payments as nearshoring and global supply chain shifts increase demand for digital financial infrastructure, according to Umar Farooq of JPMorgan Chase. The expansion of real-time payment platforms such as SPEI, operated by Banco de México, alongside a fintech ecosystem of more than 1,100 companies, is strengthening Mexico’s role in global trade finance and financial services. However, persistent financial inclusion gaps — including high cash usage and limited banking access — remain a key challenge for banks, fintech firms and payment providers seeking to scale digital payments across the economy.

GBM Bets on Women as Mexico’s Next Investor Class

GBM hosted Mujeres que Construyen Patrimonio (Women Who Build Wealth), led by Miriam Acuña, GBM's Chief Economist, combining personal testimony from senior executives, and actionable investment guidance. According to Acuña, in 2015, 0.4% of Mexican women invested. By 2024, that figure had climbed to 1.1%. However, during that same period, the investment gap between men and women nearly doubled. She also shared data on Mexico’s wage gap: for every MX$100 (US$5.7) a man earns, a woman earns an average of MX$86, a gap that compounds over an entire career. 

Mexico FIBRAs Advance ESG as 79% Track Pay Gaps

The Mexican Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts reported progress on gender equality across Mexico’s real estate investment trust sector, with 79% of member FIBRAs conducting gender pay gap assessments and several surpassing 30% female representation on their boards. The sector is also expanding workplace policies, including flexible arrangements for mothers and internal metrics to track gender representation and salary disparities. “Companies must move toward business models that integrate gender equality as a strategic element for long-term value creation,” said José Antonio Romero López, president of AMEFIBRA’s Sustainability and ESG Committee and sustainability director, Fibra MTY.