Asia-Pacific’s investment banking revenues hit all-time high

Friday, 3 December 2010 00:02 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

HONG KONG: Asia-Pacific’s investment banks have posted record revenues in 2010, skyrocketing about 33 percent over last year, industry data showed Thursday, as the region benefits from soaring investor interest.

The sector’s revenue excluding Japan has reached an all-time high of 9.17 billion US dollars so far this year, overtaking the previous peak of 9.09 billion US dollars in 2007, industry data providers Dealogic told AFP.

The region’s latest revenues also increased by about a third over last year’s 6.91 billion US dollars, according to Dealogic figures.

China’s growth contributed significantly to total investment banking revenue in Asia Pacific, with the country accounting for 51 percent of the region’s total income, up sharply from 35.5 percent last year.

China was followed by Australia, India, Hong Kong and South Korea, Dealogic said, adding that the data include revenue from deals in the equity and debt markets as well as mergers and acquisitions.

Asia-Pacific’s revenues still lag behind that of investment banks in the United States and Europe, but it was the only region among the three to post a year-on-year increase as of Wednesday.

US investment-banking revenues in the year-to-date stand at 20.58 billion US dollars, slightly below 21.02 billion US dollars last year. In Europe, investment-banking revenues dropped sharply to 13.16 billion US dollars from 18.61 billion US dollars in 2009 as the eurozone’s debt problems dent investor confidence.