Middle East investment banking fees total $912 billion in 2017

DUBAI

Middle Eastern investment banking fees totalled an estimated $912.4 million during 2017, 0.1 per cent less than the value of fees recorded during 2016, according to data from Thomson Reuters.

Debt capital markets (DCM) underwriting fees totalled $256.3 million, up 102 per cent year-on-year and the highest full year total in the region since our records began in 2000. Equity capital markets (ECM) fees increased 118 per cent to $91.3 million. Fees generated from completed M&A transactions totalled $181.9 million, a 21 per cent decrease from last year and the lowest full year total since 2012. Syndicated lending fees declined 25 per cent year-on-year to $389.9 million.

“Debt capital markets fees accounted for 28 per cent of the overall Middle Eastern investment banking fee pool, the highest full year share since 2001. Syndicated lending fees accounted for 42 per cent, while completed M&A advisory fees and equity capital markets underwriting fees accounted for 20 per cent and 10 per cent, respectively,” said Nadim Najjar, Managing Director, Middle East and North Africa, Thomson Reuters.

HSBC earned the most investment banking fees in the Middle East during 2017, a total of $84.7 million for a 9.2 per cent share of the total fee pool. Credit Suisse topped the completed M&A fee rankings with 13.7 per cent of advisory fees, while JP Morgan was first for DCM underwriting. ECM underwriting was led by EFG Hermes with $12.91 million in ECM fees, or a 14.1 per cent share. Industrial and Commercial Bank of China took the top spot in the Middle Eastern syndicated loans fee ranking.

The value of announced M&A transactions with any Middle Eastern involvement reached $43.8 billion during 2017, 14 per cent less than the value recorded during 2016. Driven by Tronox $2.2 billion acquisition of Natl Titanium Dioxide business and Chinese stake acquisitions in Abu Dhabi’s giant onshore oil concession, inbound M&A stands at a 10-year high of $9.8 billion, up 117 per cent from this time last year.

Domestic and inter-Middle Eastern M&A declined 63 per cent year-on-year to $8.7 billion, while outbound M&A activity dropped 35 per cent to $10.8 billion.

Middle Eastern equity and equity-related issuance totalled $3.5 billion during 2017, a 36 per cent decline year-on-year and the second lowest year since 2009 for issuance in the region. Twelve initial public offerings (IPOs) raised $2.8 billion and accounted for 80 per cent of the year’s ECM activity in the region. Emaar Development IPO raised $1.3 billion and stands out as the biggest deal for 2017. Bank of America Merril Lynch, First Abu Dhabi Bank and Goldman Sachs share the first place in the 2017 Middle Eastern ECM ranking with a 20.5 per cent market share.

Bolstered by Saudi Arabia’s $12.4 billion international Islamic bond in September, region’s debt issuance reached $103.7 billion during 2017, 33 per cent more than the proceeds raised during last year and by far the best year in the region since records began in 1980. Saudi Arabia was the most active nation in the Middle East accounting for 30 per cent f activity by value, followed by the UAE with 27.8 per cent.

International Islamic debt issuance increased 36 per cent year-on-year to reach $51.5 billion so far during 2017. JP Morgan took the top spot in the Middle Eastern bond ranking during 2017 with a 15.5 per cent share of the market, while Malayan Banking Bhd took the top spot for Islamic DCM issuance with a 10.8 per cent share.