Stocks of possible M&A targets have been crushing the market. Goldman says these 6 are the most likely to get bought.

Group 1 - Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity has increased significantly in 2025, with a 29% rise in deal value year-over-year and an 8% increase in the number of deals [3][4] - Electronic Arts is set to be taken private in the largest leveraged buyout ever, resulting in a stock price increase of over 20% in two days following the announcement [1] - Goldman Sachs predicts a further 15% growth in the number of M&A deals in 2026, driven by improving economic conditions and CEO confidence [4] Group 2 - A basket of potential M&A candidates has outperformed the S&P 1500 by seven percentage points since early September [2] - Goldman Sachs has identified six stocks with a 30% to 50% chance of being acquired in the next 12 months, highlighting their potential as M&A targets [3][4] - The identified stocks include companies from the health care sector, such as Insmed, Madrigal Pharmaceuticals, Krystal Biotech, Mineralys Therapeutics, and Vera Therapeutics, with varying market capitalizations and year-to-date total returns [5][6][7][8][9]