Goldman Sachs and UBS are outshining competitors in the pressurized world of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region. They do this by guaranteeing that they are the highest financial advisers from Q1-Q3 2025 at least. By value, Goldman Sachs took first place in the rankings. At the same time, UBS defended its overall leadership by volume to show their central roles in the competitive M&A market.
Goldman Sachs had an impressive run during this period, shepherding deals that aggregated nearly $50 trillion U.S. healthiest deal environment ever, in terms of total deal value, which was more than ten times greater than the prior year’s total. This growth vaulted the company from 28th place to atop of all M&A advisory rankings based on value. Goldman Sachs is currently advising on 14 such deals from Q1-Q3 of 2025. Even more impressively, four of those were billion-dollar deals, underscoring their importance in the most consequential of negotiations.
UBS cemented its position as the leading adviser by number of deals for Q1-Q3 2025 — though still registering a YoY decrease. The company ranked ninth by value over the same period. This double accomplishment is a testament to UBS’s outstanding efforts on both fronts. It only demonstrates their capacity to handle hundreds of thousands of transactions and still maintain a competitive edge in total deal value.
Performance Analysis of Goldman Sachs
Goldman Sachs’ extraordinary rise in the M&A advisory rankings is a testament to its unyielding push for greater value through top-tier transactions. The firm’s extraordinary performance was the direct result of working on a number of $1 billion-plus transactions. These acquisitions contributed a significant amount in increasing its overall deal value.
“Meanwhile, the total value of deals advised by Goldman Sachs registered more than a 10x year-on-year jump during Q1-Q3 2025. Resultantly, its ranking by value took a leap from the 28th position to the top position. Four of the 14 deals advised by Goldman Sachs during Q1-Q3 2025 were billion-dollar deals.” – Aurojyoti Bose
Goldman Sachs has had a meteoric ascendancy in the investment banking world. This explosion exacerbates their skill at lassoing big, flashy wins and further cements their boogeyman-like reputation. The agency is great at counseling on complex, high dollars projects. This strength has allowed it to become a trusted partner for big corporations seeking out businesses to strategically acquire.
UBS’s Steady Leadership
UBS’s strong showing is indicative of their continued dominance of the transaction volume in the APAC M&A market. The company ranked No. 1 firm by volume Q1-Q3 2024 in top adviser rankings. It was thus able to hold onto this lofty position in 2025, despite a drop in year-on-year numbers.
“UBS was the top adviser by volume during Q1-Q3 2024 and despite registering a year-on-year decline, it retained the leadership position by this metric during Q1-Q3 2025. Apart from leading volume, UBS also occupied the ninth position by value during Q1-Q3 2025.” – Aurojyoti Bose
UBS’s impressive floors demonstrate the firm’s strategic commitment to a high transaction level. This positions UBS as a lynchpin institution of the market for clients looking to do many, smaller transactions or looking for strong advisory execution.
Competitive Landscape Among Top Advisers
And the competition among financial advisers in the Asia-Pacific region is just as intense. Following Goldman Sachs and UBS, Evercore took the second spot with $11.1 billion worth of deals, while JP Morgan and Morgan Stanley reported $10.5 billion and $10 billion respectively. Japan’s Mitsubishi UFJ Financial, with $9.2 billion in advised deals, rounded out the top five.
As financial markets change, these companies persistently find themselves in the center of ongoing challenges as well as opportunities within M&A. Their performances have served as a bellwether for global trends in investment banking and corporate strategy in the region.