BEST BANK
Allied Irish Banks
BEST DEBT HOUSE
BNP Paribas
BEST EQUITY HOUSE
Davy Stockbrokers
BEST M&A HOUSE
Ernst & Young
After a year challenged by media attention, AIB is now back on track, with performance for 2004 returning to double digits. Its attempt to grow income faster than costs is paying off, with the former increasing by 11% and the latter just 7% over the last year. Its return on equity is now better than that of its closest competitor, Bank of Ireland, as are its profits at €1.4 billion for 2004. Loan growth in Ireland was 30%, outperforming the market, and deposits for the group as a whole were up 14%. In the capital markets, AIB is among the top three for market share in M&A, and is represented in equity markets through stockbroking subsidiary Goodbody. On the debt side, AIB has carved out a niche for itself internationally in structured and acquisition finance and is one of the leading CDO providers in Europe.
Ireland's debt market is small, but Irish banks are growing fast and need capital and financing. Leading the pack in putting together such deals for the Irish financials is BNP Paribas.