Why does UBS still rank in BB status despite being low on league tables?

I've heard great things about UBS's culture and global presence, especially in LevFin/TMT/Industrials as well as FX/Rates on the floor. 

However, in the league tables they seem to take a big hit across M&A, ECM/DCM, and S&T. Even banks like RBC, BNP, SocGen, HSBC, and so on, tend to have an edge on them in the Americas on recent league tables. 

Is there something I'm missing here? Are league tables inaccurate in determining whether a bank is a "BB" or not, or is it because UBS is a smaller-sized bank that focuses mostly on PWM?

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Have you seen 2020 M&A league tables? They stand in 9th position worldwide (source: MergerMarket) by deal value, which is quite respectable. 

There is no exact official definition of a BB but I guess most people will agree with the following: it is a bank providing full range of financial services, with a global presence, and consistently ranked among leaders in the industry. Although it is not as prestigious as in the past, UBS fits well better with this definition than the banks you quoted.

 

BB does not mean a bank ranks high on league tables. BB does not mean analysts have better exit ops. 

 

I think we all need to realize that BB is a legacy status and cannot be earned. Cornell/Brown don’t get to become a non-ivies just because their rankings dip!

 

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