African Investment Banking Fees: Standard Bank Leads in H1, 2019 – Refinitiv

• African Investment Banking Fees: Standard Bank Leads in H1, 2019 – Refinitiv

The sub-Saharan African region recorded an estimated US$227.3 million in investment banking fees in the first half of the year, the Refinitiv, a financial markets data provider, reported on Tuesday.

This was 19 percent lower than the same period of last year and the lowest in three years.

Franita Neuville, the Refinitiv Market Development Manager for Middle East and Africa, said: “The fact that the Sub-Saharan Investment Banking figures for the first half of 2019 are 19% less than the value recorded during the same period in 2018 and the lowest first half total in three years is testament to our earlier observations that the region would most likely experience subdued investment activities in the first half of the year due to countries and companies, globally, having become more inward looking, with companies rather choosing to take a risk-off approach and holding onto their capital for now.”

Breaking down the numbers, Standard Bank Group topped the chart with a total of US$31.9 million or 14 percent of the total investment banking fees recorded in the first half of the year.

Citi bank, however, led the sub-Saharan African Involvement Announced M&A Financial Advisor League Table with a 30 percent market share.

Refinitiv put the total value of announced M&A transactions in the first half of the year at US$20.9 billion, up by 42 percent from the same period of 2018 and represents the highest first half in nine years.