Morgan Stanley has topped the preliminary European league tables for mergers and acquisitions advisers in 2002, according to Dealogic, the investment banking research firm.

The US bank beat rivals JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs to lead the rankings, up from second in 2001. It advised on three of the 10 biggest deals of the year: French banking giant Crédit Agricole's $17bn (€16bn) bid for rival Crédit Lyonnais, HSBC's $15bn offer for consumer credit provider Household International, and the $11bn restructuring of cable operator NTL.