The value of mergers and acquisitions transactions in the Middle East reached $37.4bn during the first nine months of 2016, a 19% increase in the value recorded during the same period of 2015, according to managing director for the MENA region at Thomson Reuters Nadim Najjar.
Regional investment banking fees reached $580.7m during the first nine months of 2016, an 11% increase compared to fees recorded during the same period in 2015, according to estimates from Thomson Reuters and Freeman Consulting on Monday.
Regional equity and equity-related issuance totalled $1.5bn during the first nine months of 2016, a 72% decline from the first nine months of 2015, Najjar said.
Najjar added that regional debt issuance reached $43.8bn during the first nine months of 2016, a 75% increase compared to the value raised during the same period of 2015.
In respect to investment banking fees, Najjar noted that fees generated from completed mergers and acquisitions transactions totalled $158.3m during the first nine months of 2016, a 23% decrease compared to 2015. It is considered the slowest first nine months for mergers and acquisitions fees in the region since 2012.
He pointed out that equity capital markets underwriting fees declined by 64% to register $29.1m, marking the slowest first nine-month period since 2009, while debt capital markets fees increased 64% to register $83.2m.
Syndicated lending fees accounted for 53% of the overall Middle Eastern investment banking fee pool, the highest first nine months share since 2002. Completed mergers and acquisitions advisory fees accounted for 27% of fees in the region, while debt and equity capital markets underwriting fees combined accounted for 19% of this, according to the managing director.
