Goldman leads AsiaPac ECM ranking; total deals up 18 pct in 2014

HONG KONG, Dec 23 (Reuters) - Goldman Sachs led underwriting rankings in Asia ex-Japan equity capital markets (ECM) in 2014, preliminary data released by Thomson Reuters showed. Total ECM deal volumes for the region rose 18 percent from 2013 to $215.8 billion, according to the data. Proceeds from initial public offerings led the ECM expansion, surging 47 percent to $66.6 billion on increased activity in Hong Kong and Australia and as new listings resumed in China after a hiatus of more than