NEWCOMERS SHAKE UP THE TABLES

This quarter marked the arrival of three new companies to the financial adviser tables, swelling the numbers to 13 this term.

The trio of newcomers, Peel Hunt, Old Mutual and Credit Suisse First Boston has entered the most number of client's table at 10th, 11th and 12th places respectively. Peel Hunt, our regular promotion and demotion candidate, has added some impressive firms this term to its books, including AIM companies easier, e-quisitor and getmapping.com. It's something of a specialist in this market, with no less than 29 of its clients quoted on AIM, many more than its closest rival Beeson Gregory (with 18.5).

Further up the tables is something of a mixed bag for our top advisers. Positions among the big four remained unchanged with relatively few gains or losses. Mid-table, however, saw HSBC leapfrog Close Brothers, and Investec move up a place after a 5.5 point gain. This can be attributed to, in part, new clients Cluff-minning and Innovation group.

Another newcomer, Credit Suisse First Boston, has faired exceptionally well, this time in the client pre-tax profit table. It has entered the league at fourth place, just behind the established leaders, with its clients combining to produce £6091.5m in profit. Taking a closer look, we see it advises heavyweights such as Barclays (with £2460m profit in the year to Dec 1999), AstraZeneca (with £1210.38m) and Bank of Scotland (£911m to Feb 2000).

HSBC repeated its form in the client numbers table, with a gain of one place. However, going in the opposite direction, Deutsche Bank slipped to eighth. Its clients shed £337.7m in profit, not helped by poor year-end results from Tanjong, down £144.57m on the previous year to Jan 2000.

The third of the new entrants to the tables this quarter, Old Mutual, is sitting pretty in the two growth tables. Formed from the merger of two smaller firms, Albert E Sharp and Greig Middleton (both of which were well out of the top league) the combined groups 42.5 clients seem to be among the most fleet of foot in the whole survey. They have propelled Old Mutual to first in the fastest growing league and second in the fastest increasing earnings. It has companies on board such as ingenta, the online knowledge communities developer, which has had profits more than double in its past financial year.

With three new entrants to the league we will have to wait to see if it's possible for any, or all of them, to consolidate their positions in the next three months.