Investment banking fees defy weak M&As

Investment banking fees in India rose 17% from a year earlier in the first half of calendar 2023 even as the number of mergers and acquisitions deals fell during the period.

- Priyal Mahtta

According to Refinitiv, a financial markets data provider, investment banking activity generated about $515 million in the January-June period, with financials, and energy and power sector seeing the biggest increase in fees.

While fees charged for financial sector more than doubled, those for energy and power sector transactions grew nearly threefold, the data showed.

However, in terms of transaction type, advisory fees for completed M&A deals fell by over 25% to about $141.4 million, in line with the overall decline in M&A activity.