TOKYO -- Nomura Securities edged out Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities to retake the lead in Japan's ranking of mergers and acquisitions advisers in 2019, as big domestic deals boosted Japanese players in a field that had been dominated by foreign rivals.
Japanese businesses were involved in 3,728 M&A transactions last year, the second-highest number ever, according to Refinitiv. While the total value declined from 2018 -- a year that saw such blockbuster deals as Takeda Pharmaceutical's $62 billion acquisition of Irish drugmaker Shire -- it was still up about 60% from 2017.
