Australian bank Macquarie shot up from from 39 to an all-time high of 13 in the US equity capital markets league table, after the $8.7bn sale of the government’s stake in bailed out insurer American International Group this week. The success follows a decision to double the size of the bank's US securities arm since 2009.

Macquarie had also ended last year at 39 in the US ECM league table, according to Dealogic, the investment banking research provider.