Goldman Sachs has topped the latest mergers and acquisitions (M&A) league table of the top 10 financial advisers in the financial services sector based on deal value in the first three quarters (Q1-Q3) of 2019, according to GlobalData, a leading data analytics company.

The US-based multinational investment bank secured the top spot based on the total advised deal value of US$178.6bn with 33 deals.

According to GlobalData, which tracks all M&A, private equity/venture capital and asset transaction activity around the world to compile league tables, Morgan Stanley and RBC Capital Markets came in second and third positions, advising on deals worth US$124.4bn and US$101.1bn, respectively.

Ravi Tokala, Financial Deals Analyst at GlobalData, says: “Despite recording six megadeals (>US$10bn) and 42 big-ticket deals (>US$1bn), the financial services sector witnessed a nominal increase of 1% in year-on-year overall deal value in Q1-Q3 2019. However, the top three financial advisers were able to cross the US$100bn deal value mark and the top legal adviser Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson missed it by US$6.5bn.”

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Global financial services deals market in Q1-Q3 2019

The financial services sector saw an increase of 1.01% in deal value from US$319.80bn in Q1-Q3 2018 to US$323.02bn in Q1-Q3 2019. Deal volume grew by 36.79% from 2533 to 3,465.

Goldman Sachs, which topped the financial services table of M&A financial advisers, was ranked first in the recently released global league table of top 20 M&A financial advisers by GlobalData.

Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson leads top 10 M&A legal advisers list

US-based Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson led the top 10 legal advisers table for Q1-Q3 2019 with a value of US$93.5bn through 11 deals. Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz stood at second position with US$88.5bn through 16 deals. In the global league table of top 20 M&A legal advisers, Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson was ranked ninth. The global league table was led by Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz.