Wall Street has had a monster year in M&A

It has been a huge year for mergers and acquisitions activity.

Global M&A volume stands at an all-time high of $4.86 trillion as of December 17, according to data from Dealogic, which broke down deals by sector and geographic region in a report released on Thursday.

Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, JPMorgan and Bank of America Merrill Lynch have all recorded their highest annual advisory volumes on record.

Here's a snapshot of which banks have made the most from the M&A boom, according to Dealogic estimates.

Goldman Sachs is way out in front, generating an estimated $2.6 billion in M&A revenues so far. JPMorgan ranks second, with Morgan Stanley in third.

Dealogic

A record year for M&A generated billions for Wall Street's top dealmakers.