Goldman Sachs has emerged as the top financial adviser for mergers and acquisitions (M&A) by both value and volume in the technology, media & telecom (TMT) sector for H1 2021, having advised on 79 deals worth US$217.3bn. A total of 6,048 M&A deals were announced in the sector during H1 2021, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

According to GlobalData’s report, ‘Global and Technology, Media & Telecom M&A Report Financial Adviser League Tables H1 2021’, deal value for the sector increased by 131% from US$302bn in H1 2020 to US$698bn in H1 2021.

Aurojyoti Bose, Lead Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Although Goldman Sachs experienced some close competition in terms of volume, the firm was way ahead in terms of deal value due to its involvement in several big-ticket deals. In fact, Goldman Sachs was the only financial adviser that managed to surpass the US$200bn mark during H1 2021, thereby outpacing its peers by a great margin in value terms. The firm advised on 35 billion-dollar deals (valued more than or equal to US$1bn), which also included four mega deals (valued more than or equal to US$10bn).”

JP Morgan and Morgan Stanley occupied the second and third positions by both value as well as volume with 75 deals worth US$160.4bn and 50 deals worth US$115.5bn, respectively. Bank of America occupied fourth position in value with 44 deals worth US$86bn, followed by Barclays with 35 deals worth US$70.4bn.

Ernst & Young occupied the fourth rank in terms of volume with 47 deals worth US$5.2bn, followed by Bank of America in fifth position.