RSM has topped Experian’s league table as the most active M&A adviser in Scotland, clocking up eight deals in the first half of this year.

RSM’s top place ranking in Experian’s half yearly M&A review places the firm ahead of both regional and national competitors.

The report found that deal activity in Scotland fell in the first half of 2016, during the period which saw 251 transactions across the country, a drop of 23 per cent on the 326 deals recorded in the same period last year.

The total value of Scottish deals was £3.2bn, down 54 per cent from £7.05bn in the first half of 2015.

The majority of deals in Scotland in the first half of the year were in the financial services sector with 147 transactions. The largest growth sector was construction with a 58 per cent increase in deal volumes, whilst the manufacturing sector had the largest value of transactions at £2.1bn.

While small (£0.5m to £10m) and mid-market (£10m to £100m) deal volumes declined in volume, large (£100m - £1bn) deal activity rose sharply, with 10 deals reported, up 43 per cent from the same period last year.

Ewan Grant, Head of Corporate Finance in Scotland at RSM, said: “Despite the drop in volume of M&A deals in Scotland in the first half of the year, we’ve seen an increase in the size of deals being done. We are delighted to have been able to top the league table, and we remain optimistic regarding the outlook for the second half of this year.”