BEST BANK
ABN Amro
BEST DEBT HOUSE
ABN Amro
BEST EQUITY HOUSE
Lehman Brothers
BEST M&A HOUSE
Goldman Sachs
ABN Amro's dedication to its domestic market makes it a reliable firm in all aspects of finance and capital market activity. Its income is higher than that of any of its local rivals and its return on equity is nearly 23%.
The award for best debt house was a tough call because ABN Amro, Citigroup and UBS have all had a hugely successful year. All three can boast a wide range of issuer clients and a variety of innovative transaction structures. The European syndicated loan market is fiercely competitive but this did not stop ABN Amro maintaining its dominance. In bonds, it tops the league table again by volume, participating in high-profile deals such as the first CMBS transaction in the Netherlands for KFN, the first Dutch structured covered bond and an inaugural 30-year issue by the Kingdom of Netherlands.
In equities, ABN Amro Rothschild continues to demonstrate a strong presence in primary market activity, including its lead manager role in TBG's €1.1 billion accelerated bookbuild. But Lehman Brothers snatches the award this year.