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Best bank and Best investment bank: BNP Paribas |
The contest for the best bank in France title this year was no less predictable than the French Open final, which went yet again to Spaniard Rafael Nadal.
La banque du tennis, as BNP Paribas is known locally, stood out in sharp contrast to its main rivals by avoiding the losses, scandals and subsequent cash calls that dogged Société Générale and Crédit Agricole this year, making it the obvious choice for the best bank in France and adding strength to its claim to the title of best bank in western Europe this year as well.
In investment banking, BNP Paribas has held the fort against intense competition in France this year, playing a central role in many of the most significant equity, debt and M&A transactions, advising key French clients such as Danone and Lafarge on their international acquisitions and also foreign clients such as Germany’s SAP on their acquisitions in France.