RBC Capital Markets Tops Thomson M&A Advisory Ranking

RBC Capital Markets topped Thomson Reuters’ rankings of top M&A advisory firms to North American cable, telecom, broadcast and data infrastructure companies, logging 16 deals in 2013.

RBC Capital Markets finished ahead of larger firms like JP Morgan (14 deals), Goldman Sachs (12 deals), and Moelis & Co. (11). Between 2000 and 2013m RBC Capital Markets served as an advisor to 491 deals, putting it ahead of JP Morgan (333), Credit Suisse (267) and Goldman Sachs (262).

Because the Thomson Reuters ranking focused on M&A deals in the core sectors – cable, telecom, broadcast and data infrastructure – it only captured a ‘portion of RBC Capital Markets’ total transactions. In its 2013 fiscal year (Nov. 1, 2012 to Oct, 31, 2013) RBC’s Communications, Media & Entertainment group completed more than 110 M&A and capital markets transactions for a total of $130 billion. Among those deals were Gannet Co.’s $2.2 billion purchase of Belo,  Media General’s $1.4 billion merger with Young Broadcasting, Time Warner Cable’s $600 million purchase of DukeNet,  and Telephone & Data Systems' $267.5 million purchase of Baja Broadband.

"2013 was another year of strong performance for RBC Capital Markets as a leader across the Communications, Media & Entertainment sectors,” said RBC Capital Markets managing director and head of the CME group Brian Deevy in a statement. “We continue to see very strong momentum in both M&A and capital markets transactions into 2014 and look forward to working with our clients."