Audit, tax and consulting firm RSM has been named the busiest mergers and acquisitions financial adviser in the South East according to the latest Experian/MarketIQ report.

RSM, which has offices in Southampton, Gatwick, Tunbridge Wells, Guildford, Reading and Basingstoke, advised on 26 deals in the South East during the first three quarters of the year, two more than its closest rival.

This is the second year running that the firm has taken the top spot at this point in the year.

According to Experian, there were 725 deals completed in the South East during the first nine months of the year, a decline of 13 per cent compared to the same period in 2017. Total deal values also fell slightly to £31bn, down 10.5 per cent compared to last year’s £34.8bn.

Kirsty Sandwell, head of corporate finance at RSM in the South East said: ‘With the current political uncertainty, it is hardly surprising to see a slight drop in the market in the South East, matching the slowdown that we've seen nationally. However, there is still a healthy interest from buyers and investors and those businesses that are well-prepared are continuing to attract good prices.’

In addition to being number one in the South East, RSM was also named the overall busiest financial adviser in the whole of the UK advising on a total of 92 deals across the country.