Morgan Stanley has taken the top spot in the league tables for U.S. acquisitions. Reuters reports that based on data from Thomson Reuters, Morgan Stanley advised on 34 U.S. deals with a total value of just under $175 billion, while Goldman Sachs advised on 38 U.S. deals with a total value of about $158 billion.

Morgan Stanley's position marks the first time since 1996 that it held a mid-year or year-end top position. As for Goldman Sachs, it had held the top spot among U.S. advisers since 2005.

I wouldn't make a whole lot of this. In this sort of environment, just a deal or two can make a big difference. JPMorgan came in third; Bank of America was in fourth, somewhat surprisingly. Barclays came in fifth. Citigroup, Evercore Partners, Credit Suisse, Lazard, Centerview Partners and Perella Weinberg Partners rounded out the top 11, according to Reuters. 

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