EU: AB InBev largest source of investment banking revenues in Europe last year

Belgian beer company AB InBev was the largest source of investment banking revenues in Europe last year - and Lazard, Deutsche Bank and Barclays split close to half of the brewer's fees between them, the Financial News reported on January 27.

In total, European clients paid banks about $16.1 billion in fees across mergers and acquisitions advice, debt and equity capital markets and loans in 2016, down from $18 billion in 2015. It was the lowest annual total since 2012.

AB InBev paid out about $491 million in fees across M&A advice and debt market deals during the year, according to data prepared for Financial News by Dealogic, which tracks disclosed fees and uses its own analytics for deals in which fees aren't disclosed.

AB InBev's fees were linked to the company’s takeover of SABMiller, which was announced in 2015 and closed in October 2016. The deal was valued by Dealogic at £87.8 billion. It also included fees for arranging two bumper bond deals that refinanced its acquisition loans, as well as smaller spin-offs and sales that the company completed.

27 January, 2017