Core Insights - Morgan Stanley and Houlihan Lokey emerged as the leading financial advisors in consumer M&A for 2025, with Morgan Stanley leading in deal value and Houlihan Lokey in deal volume [1][2]. Summary by Category Deal Value - Morgan Stanley advised on transactions totaling $79.71 billion, significantly outpacing its peers [1][3]. - The firm completed nine deals, including four valued at over $1 billion, with two classified as mega deals exceeding $10 billion [3]. - Notable transactions included advising Keurig Dr Pepper on its acquisition of JDE Peet's for €15.7 billion ($18.36 billion) [3]. Deal Volume - Houlihan Lokey maintained its position as the top advisor by volume, handling 30 transactions in 2025 [1][2]. - The firm's focus was primarily in the food sector, exemplified by Kraft Heinz's asset sale in Italy [4]. Competitor Rankings - Goldman Sachs ranked second in deal value with $65.13 billion across 16 deals, followed by JPMorgan with $57.3 billion from 11 deals [6]. - In terms of deal volume, Rothschild & Co. ranked second with 20 deals, followed by Spayne Lindsay with 17 [6]. Year-over-Year Changes - Morgan Stanley's deal value saw a year-over-year increase of 8821%, while Houlihan Lokey's deal volume decreased by 32% compared to 2024 [5].