2021 was an exceptional year for M&A. Booming markets, abundant availability of capital, and the need to adjust companies and portfolios to the post-pandemic world drove global deal-making volumes to $5.8tn for the first time since records began.
The Investment Banking division continued to deliver customized solutions to accelerate the business transformation of our clients, consolidate their market position, or even stabilize their balance sheets. This led to a record figure of 186 deals advised (+41% YoY), including 137 M&A transactions worth €17.5bn in a range of high-growth sectors such as Technology (50), Industrials (46), and Healthcare (17).
As the banking and credit markets regained resilience, our Credit Portfolio Advisory team emerged as one of the major players in European distressed credit securitization last year. The team advised on very significant transactions such as the second-largest rated NPE securitization in Europe, the merger of a non-bank financial institution and a FinTech bank; the first securitization of movable registered assets in Italy; the first rated NPL securitization in Cyprus and the first Greek synthetic SRT securitization, amongst others.
In Asset Management, the global alternatives market not only weathered the storm through unprecedented change but was able to show its ability to adapt and prosper in a fast-changing environment. Alantra’s strategic partners raised their fee-earning assets under management to €15.2bn, launched new products and continued to deliver superior results.
Our performance in 2021 reaffirmed our belief that independent, diverse and highly-specialized services are crucial to deliver the right solutions across economic cycles. After adding 30 senior professionals across our business divisions last year, we will continue to invest in the best talent to deliver results for our clients and investors.