Schroder Salomon Smith Barney (SSSB) looks best placed, ahead of its investment banking rivals, to collect success fees on two of Europe's largest disposals this year by working for both target companies.

SSSB, which is advising Safeway, the UK retailer at the centre of a six-way bidding battle, was confirmed as sole financial adviser to Six Continents, the UK hotel and pub group which entrepreneur Hugh Osmond said on Wednesday he was considering buying. Six Continents has a market capitalisation of about £4.8bn (€7.1bn), and advisory fees are typically 0.5% to 1% of a deal's value.