Corporate debt bankers are confident of another good year after a surge in mergers and acquisitions in Europe, the Middle East and Africa helped the region match the Americas as the main driver of corporate fundraising.

The rise in European corporate fundraising, which reached a record $2.2 trillion (€1.9 trillion) last year, coupled with a 27% rise in fundraising in Asia-Pacific, where volumes were $600bn, meant the US and Latin America accounted for less than half of global corporate fundraising for the first time.