Nikko Salomon Smith Barney is a rare creature. It's a joint venture
that can only be described as a success. And it has the other banks
in Japan green with envy. In equity underwriting it's at the top of
the pile, and it's also moving up the tables in the M&A
business. Thomson's league table for advisers for Japan places it
fourth, behind the usual suspects of Goldman Sachs, Merrill Lynch
and Morgan Stanley Dean Witter. Morgan Stanley is now looking over
its shoulder because in 2000, Nikko Salomon Smith Barney was only
$500,000 behind. And it was involved in more transactions: 23
compared with MSDW's 18.
In both the equity capital markets and the M&A side, the
Japanese name Nikko has undoubtedly brought benefits. "The Nikko
relationship has helped absolutely," says David Hatt, managing
director in charge of equity capital markets. "Nikko has given us a
whole new dimension...
