UBS
UBS is Australia’s go-to foreign bank for dealmakers. It dominates the Australian capital markets league tables, with an average share of 15% to 20% across the component sectors. In M&A, UBS topped out with a 20% market share.
In stock broking, UBS did A$42.2 billion ($32 billion) in trades up until December to easily take first slot, leaving plenty of daylight between it and its nearest rivals. Deutsche Bank, Morgan Stanley and Citi are all working in the low A$20 billion range.
A standout UBS deal this year was the mandate from Royal Dutch Shell to place its 8.5% of Australian explorer Woodside Petroleum, an A$2.3 billion transaction. It also teamed up with billionaire retail investor Solomon Lew in his showdown with retail giant Myer.
But it seems the Swiss aren’t intending to rest on their laurels. In November, they hired back one of their former star bankers, the much-watched Aidan Allen, who had been poached by Citi in 2013 after 10 years at UBS.
Allen is regarded as the leading private equity adviser in the country, with the top names at corporate giants Boral, Qantas, Aristocrat and Woolworths among others in his contact list.
With Allen’s back-to-the-future re-hire, UBS seems set to maintain its primacy down under.