Romania leads CEE M&A growth with 9% transaction increase
Romania emerged as the most dynamic mergers and acquisitions (M&A) market in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), recording 9% growth in transaction numbers during 2025.
Romania emerged as the most dynamic mergers and acquisitions (M&A) market in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), recording 9% growth in transaction numbers during 2025.
Construction costs and plot acquisition have become the primary concerns for real estate developers in Central Europe in 2026, affecting 27% and 25% of companies respectively, according to a Deloitte report.
Commercial real estate companies remain optimistic about 2026, with 83% expecting revenue growth, according to a Deloitte report. This represents a slight decline from 88% last year, while 68% plan to increase expenses in 2026.
Insurers are experiencing uncertainty from economic pressures, geopolitical volatility and increasing catastrophic events, combined with higher customer expectations, according to the Deloitte 2026 global insurance outlook.
While the EU discusses applying handling fees for parcels worth less than €150 from non-EU countries, Romania and Italy have decided to implement it this year.
Holiday spending is decreasing by about 10% this year compared to 2024, as three-quarters of consumers (77%, up from 69% in 2024) expect higher prices on holiday goods.
Romanian companies Finqware, Questo are among the fastest growing technology start-ups in the region, being included in the 2025 Deloitte Technology Fast 50 Central Europe ranking.
Family business revenues are projected to reach $29 trillion by 2030, reflecting an 84% increase compared to 2020, according to a Deloitte study. These businesses currently account for 19% of all business revenue globally and represent more than 18,000 entities worldwide.
The European property market has begun to adapt to new conditions. The latest data, based on a survey in 28 countries across Europe, has clearly confirmed this, according to the 14th edition of the Deloitte Property Index.
M Core has significantly expanded its retail portfolio with over €150 million in strategic investments over the past six months and has an active pipeline exceeding €200 million in projected developments over the next two years.
Global leaders are increasingly confident in their organizations' AI initiatives, with eight out of ten organizations (78%) anticipating an increase in their overall AI.
Construction labour cost and availability have become the primary concerns for real estate developers in Central Europe, according to a new survey by Deloitte. This shift sees it surpassing project financing, which has been the dominant issue in recent years.
AI agent usage is rising, with 25% of organizations using Gen AI expected to deploy it by 2025, increasing to 50% by 2027.
Companies that received the certification are Agexim Transport & Logistics, Christian'76 Tour, Compexit Grup, IRUM, Perla Harghitei and Temad Co.
The study shows that data-related issues have caused 55% of the organizations to avoid certain Generative AI use cases.
Amid higher prices expectations, buyers remain wary, and many intend to cut back on gifts for themselves or to switch to lower-priced brands.
Seven out of ten companies in Romania expect an increase in impact of circular economy regulations from moderate to high and very high in the next five years.
Another important aspect for the organizations' success identified by the study is reimagining the work, workplace, and workforce in line with technology developments (67%).
Nearly 60% of respondents see the potential of e-invoicing and digital reporting for trade to simplify compliance.
Romania has a considerably higher rate of young people who make plans for their future (96%), among which 54% have well defined plans, compared to 40%, the European average.

The World Bank has significantly downgraded its economic growth projections for Romania this year, lowering expectations to 0.5% from the 1.3% forecast issued at the start of 2026.
Foraj Sonde Videle has announced the acquisition of Raffles Energy, a British holding company that owns two Romanian energy companies active in natural gas and electricity production.
Econergy Renewable Energy has secured approximately €31 million in project financing from Kommunalkredit Austria to develop its 60 MW photovoltaic project in southeastern Romania.
Romanian software company Arobs Transilvania Software has completed the merger by absorption of five subsidiaries - Arobs Development & Engineering, Berg Computers, Nordlogic Software, Infobest Romania, and Centrul de Soft GPS.
The European retail sector faced a cooling period in February 2026, with the latest Eurostat data revealing a divergence between a stabilising Union and a sharply declining Romanian market.