KUALA LUMPUR: Maybank Kim Eng Group, the fully-owned investment banking arm of Malayan Banking Bhd (fundamental: 1.5; valuation: 1.3), was ranked one of the best investment banks in the Asean region.

It came out tops in the 2014 Dealogic Asean League Table for Equity Capital Markets (ECM) after securing the highest deal volume for ECM bookrunners in Asean last year.

It was also named the Best Broker in Asean by Alpha Southeast Asia and has maintained its dominance and stronghold in Thailand as the top broker for the 13th consecutive year.

“Despite the challenging environment in 2014, Maybank Kim Eng continued to strengthen its position in the investment banking space in Asean. Whilst we maintain our solid performance in Malaysia, we are making strong headway in the region,” said Maybank Kim Eng and Maybank Investment Bank in a statement yesterday.

During the year, Maybank Kim Eng executed several notable ECM deals, including the US$359.1 million (RM1.29 billion) initial public offering (IPO) of Boustead Plantations Bhd (fundamental: 1.4; valuation: 1.8) and the US$259.8 million IPO of 7-Eleven Malaysia Holdings Bhd (fundamental: 1.55; valuation: 0).

The successful listing of 7-Eleven was also recognised as the Best IPO Deal (Malaysia) by the Asset Triple A and The Edge Media Group.

In the debt capital market, Maybank Kim Eng was ranked second in Bloomberg’s Asean Domestic Bonds League Table and third in Bloomberg’s Asean Loans Book Runner League Table. It also retained a top three position in the global sukuk market.

The Edge Research’s fundamental score reflects a company’s profitability and balance sheet strength, calculated based on historical numbers. The valuation score determines if a stock is attractively valued or not, also based on historical numbers. A score of 3 suggests strong fundamentals and attractive valuations. Go to www.theedgemarkets.com for more details on a company’s financial dashboard.

This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily, on January 28, 2015.