Morgan Stanley has topped the latest M&A league table of the top 10 financial advisers in the healthcare sector for FY2018, compiled by GlobalData, a leading data analytics company.

Despite advising on less than half the number of deals compared to its compatriot JP Morgan (19 vs 42), Morgan Stanley emerged as the winner with a total deal value of $183.7bn during the reporting period.

According to GlobalData, which tracks all merger and acquisition, private equity/venture capital and asset transaction activity around the world to compile the league table, JP Morgan secured the second spot with deals worth $167.6bn, followed by Goldman Sachs with $157.8bn. JP Morgan advised on 42 deals, the highest in the sector in 2018.

Nagarjun Sura, Financial Deals Analyst at GlobalData, said: “Top three global financial advisers/investment banks dominated the financial adviser rankings in the healthcare sector. All three of them were involved in the year’s biggest pharma deal – Takeda’s ~$80bn acquisition of Shire, which played a pivotal role in deciding the ranking of top 10 financial and legal advisers in the sector.”

IMAGE FOR PUBLICATION: Please click here for enlarged chart

Global healthcare deals market in FY2018

The healthcare sector witnessed a year-on-year increase in deal value and volume during FY2018. The total value surged by 34.34% from $314.7bn in 2017 to $422.7bn in 2018 while volume slightly grew by 6.75% from 3,716 in 2017 to 3,967 in 2018.

Morgan Stanley, which led the healthcare league table of M&A financial advisers, was ranked third in the global league table of top 20 M&A financial advisers released by GlobalData recently. Goldman Sachs topped the global rankings, though it finished third in the healthcare league table list in 2018.

Latham & Watkins leads the M&A legal advisers ranking list

American law firm, Latham & Watkins, was the winner in the top 10 legal advisers list for healthcare sector by value and volume, though it finished seventh in the global league table of top 20 legal advisers.

The firm advised on 50 deals, worth a total of $110.6bn, to surpass its competitors in the healthcare sector. Even though Sullivan & Cromwell provided legal services to only 10 deals in 2018, it occupied the second spot in the top 10 legal advisers list riding on the back of a total deal value of $104.2bn.

IMAGE FOR PUBLICATION: Please click here for enlarged chart