GlobalData has revealed the latest mergers and acquisitions (M&A) league table of the top ten financial advisers in Europe by value and volume for coronavirus-hit Q1 2020, which witnessed decline in deal volume in the region.
Goldman Sachs leads by value
Goldman Sachs dominates the M&A financial advisers league table based on deal value in the first quarter of 2020, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.
The American firm advised on 20 deals worth US$114.1bn in Q1 2020.
GlobalData, which tracks all M&A, private equity/venture capital and asset transaction activity around the world to compile the league tables, confirmed that Rothschild & Co occupied the second position with 48 transactions worth US$58.3bn.
Aurojyoti Bose, Financial Deals Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Despite advising on a relatively smaller number of deals, Goldman Sachs is the only adviser which crossed US$100bn mark in Q1 2020 outpacing its peers by a large margin. The firm advised on some big-ticket deals such as the US$33.4bn Aon – Willis Towers Watson merger deal.”
Goldman Sachs, which topped the league table of M&A financial advisers in Europe, also stood at the first position in GlobalData’s recently released global league table of top 20 M&A financial advisers.
Rothschild & Co tops by volume
Rothschild & Co has secured number one position in the latest global M&A financial advisers league table based on deal volume in Q1 2020. The firm advised on 48 deals worth US$58.3bn.
GlobalData revealed that PwC occupied the second position with 42 transactions worth US$4.4bn.
Aurojyoti Bose comments: “Rothschild & Co, despite leading by deal volume, lost the top position to Goldman Sachs in terms of value. Though both the firms advised on a few same big ticket deals (such as the acquisition of ThyssenKrupp Elevator by Consortium of Investors for US$18.7bn and Worldline’s acquisition of Ingenico Group for US$10.6bn), Goldman Sachs also advised on additional high value transactions.”
Europe deals market in Q1 2020
The deal volume in Europe saw a decrease by 1.78% from 3,484 to 3,422 in the first quarter of 2020. However, on the back of some of high value transactions (such as US$33.4bn Aon – Willis Towers Watson merger deal and acquisition of ThyssenKrupp Elevator by consortium of Investors for US$18.7bn) deal value increased by 45.35% from US$134.4bn in the first quarter of 2019 to US$195.3bn in Q1 2020.
