Project on

“ INVESTMENT BANKING”

A project submmited to University of Mumbai for complision

Of the degree.

Of Bachelor in Commerce ( Banking and Insurance )

Under the faculty of Commerce.

By

DILIP BHARAT AHIR

Under the guidance of

Ass Prof

ST GONSALO GRACIA COLLEGE , VASAI

YEAR 2019-2020
 Declaration

I the undersigned Miss/Mr. DILIP AHIR here by,

Declare that the work embodied in this project work titled

“INVESTMENT BANKING”,

Forms my own contribution to the research work carried out under the guidance of

Not been previously submitted to any other university for any other Degree/Diploma to
this or any other university.

Wherever reference has been made to previous works of others, it has been clearly
indicated such and included in the bibiliography.

I, here by further declare that all information of this document has been obtained and
presented in accordance with academic rules and ethical conduct.

Name and signature of the learner

Certified by
 Certificate

This is to certify that Ms/Mr. has

worked

And duly completed her/his project work for the degree of Bachelor in commerce

(Banking and Insurance) under the faculty of commerce in the subject of

And her/his project is entitled,

Under

My supervision.

I further certify that the entire work has been learned by the learner under my guideance

And that no part of it has been submitted previously for any Degree/Diploma of any

University .

It is her\ his own work and facts reported by her\his personal findings and

investigatios.

Name and Signature of

Guiding Teacher

Date of submission:
 Chapter-1
Introduction

An Investment bank is a financial services company or corporate division that engages in

advisory-based financial transactions on behalf of individuals, corporations, and
governments. Traditionally associated with corporate finance, such a bank might assist in
raising financial capital by underwriting or acting as the client's agent in
the issuance of securities. An investment bank may also assist companies involved
in mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and provide ancillary services such as market
making, trading of derivatives and equity securities, and FICC services (fixed
income instruments, currencies, and commodities). Most investment banks
maintain prime brokerage and asset management departments in conjunction with
their investment research businesses. As an industry, it is broken up into the Bulge
Bracket (upper tier), Middle Market (mid-level businesses), and boutique
market (specialized businesses).

Unlike commercial banks and retail banks, investment banks do not take deposits. From
the passage of Glass–Steagall Act in 1933 until its repeal in 1999 by the Gramm–Leach–
Bliley Act, the United States maintained a separation between investment banking and
commercial banks. Other industrialized countries, including G7 countries, have
historically not maintained such a separation. As part of the Dodd–Frank Wall Street
Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 (Dodd–Frank Act of 2010), the Volcker
Rule asserts some institutional separation of investment banking services from
commercial banking.

All investment banking activity is classed as either "sell side" or "buy side". The "sell
side" involves trading securities for cash or for other securities (e.g. facilitating
transactions, market-making), or the promotion of securities (e.g. underwriting, research,
etc.). The "buy side" involves the provision of advice to institutions that buy investment
services. Private equity funds, mutual funds, life insurance companies, unit trusts,
and hedge funds are the most common types of buy-side entities.

An investment bank can also be split into private and public functions with a Chinese
wall separating the two to prevent information from crossing. The private areas of the
bank deal with private insider information that may not be publicly disclosed, while the
public areas, such as stock analysis, deal with public information. An advisor who
provides investment banking services in the United States must be a licensed broker-
dealer and subject to U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Financial
Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) regulation.
Meaning:-

As the name suggests, Investment Banking is about managing investments for a bank’s
clients that offers such services. These services can be availed by high net-worth
individuals, corporations and even governments to plan and manage large projects, saving
them time and money by identifying risks associated with the project before they move
forward.

Investment banking is a field of banking that aids companies in acquiring funds. In addition
to the acquisition of new funds, investment banking also offers advice for a wide range of
transactions a company might engage in.

An investment bank is a financial institution that assists individuals, corporations and

governments in raising capital by underwriting and/or acting as the client's agent in the
issuance of securities. An investment bank may also assist companies involved in mergers
and acquisitions, and provide ancillary services such as market making,
trading of derivatives, fixed income instruments, foreign exchange,commodities, and
equity securities.
Investment bankers identify capital opportunities, negotiate and structure deals, and
execute private and public financial transactions. The essential function of an investment
bank is to act as an intermediary between potential investors and those who seek capital.
Investors include individuals, mutual funds, municipalities, public corporations, and
private institutions.
An investment banking firm also does a large amount of consulting. Investment bankers
give companies advice on mergers and acquisitions, for example. They also track the
market in order to give advice on when to make public offerings and how best to manage
the business' public assets. Some of the consultative activities investment banking firms
engage in overlap with those of a private brokerage, as they will often give buy-and-sell
advice to the companies they represent.
Unlike commercial banks and retail banks, investment banks do not take deposits. There
are two main lines of business in investment banking. Trading securities for cash or for
other securities (i.e., facilitating transactions, market-making), or the promotion of
securities (i.e., underwriting, research, etc.) is the "sell side", while dealing with pension
funds, mutual funds, hedge funds, and the investing public (who consume the products and
services of the sellside in order to maximize their return on investment) constitutes the"buy
side". Many firms have buy and sell side components
Definition

To define in the simplest sense, Investment Banking refers to a highly specialized

segment within banking operations that helps raise capital and provide financial
consultancy services pertaining to large, complicated financial transactions.

Traditionally, the services may include a through investigation, analysis and informed
recommendations about how much a person or company is worth. Basis the results,
professional investment bankers will determine whether or not it merits consideration for
a deal. Investment bankers will further structure an optimally profitable deal if the client
is considering an acquisition, merger or sale.

When Arti visited the Investment Bank, she inquired about the various departments and
operations under this umbrella.

Most investment banks maintain prime brokerage and asset management departments in
conjunction with their investment research businesses. As an industry, it is broken up into
the Bulge Bracket (upper tier), Middle Market (mid-level businesses), and boutique
market (specialized businesses).
 CHAPTER-2

History

Early history

The Dutch East India Company was the first company to issue bonds and shares of stock
to the general public. It was also the first publicly traded company, being the first
company to be listed on an official stock exchange. The Dutch also helped lay the
foundations of the modern practice of investment banking.

Further developments

Investment banking has changed over the years, beginning as a partnership firm focused
on underwriting security issuance, i.e. initial public offerings (IPOs) and secondary
market offerings, brokerage, and mergers and acquisitions, and evolving into a "full-
service" range including securities research, proprietary trading, and investment
management. In the 21st century, the SEC filings of the major independent investment
banks such as Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley reflect three product segments:

1. Investment banking (mergers and acquisitions, advisory services and securities

underwriting)

2. Asset management (sponsored investment funds)

3. Trading and principal investments (broker-dealer activities, including proprietary

trading ("dealer" transactions) and brokerage trading ("broker" transactions).

In the United States, commercial banking and investment banking were separated by the
Glass–Steagall Act, which was repealed in 1999. The repeal led to more "universal
banks" offering an even greater range of services. Many large commercial banks have
therefore developed investment banking divisions through acquisitions and hiring.
Notable large banks with significant investment banks include JPMorgan Chase, Bank of
America, Citigroup, Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank, UBS, and Barclays.

After the financial crisis of 2007–08 and the subsequent passage of the Dodd-Frank Act
of 2010, regulations have limited certain investment banking operations, notably with the
Volcker Rule's restrictions on proprietary trading.

The traditional service of underwriting security issues has declined as a percentage of

revenue. As far back as 1960, 70% of Merrill Lynch's revenue was derived from
transaction commissions while "traditional investment banking" services accounted for
5%. However, Merrill Lynch was a relatively "retail-focused" firm with a large brokerage
network.
 Chapter-3

Types of investment banking

If we define investment banking, it is a division of a bank that aids large complex

financial transactions for companies, governments, and other entities. The industry is
flooded by large and small investment banks. In today’ article, we will try to give
information about different investment banks.

Firstly, it is important to understand the structure of the investment banking industry.

There are mainly four types of investment banks. Each of these types is categorized in
their type by factors such as the size of the bank, its coverage in area and types of
services it provides. Let’s first understand the types of investment bank:

1.BULGE BRACKET INVESTMENT BANKS

Bulge bracket investment banks are also known as the full-service investment bank. The
examples include well-known names such as Goldman Sachs, Deutsche Bank, Credit
Suisse, Morgan Stanley, etc.

These banks are mammoth in size and a majority of their clients include Fortune 500
companies. They frequently aid multi-billion dollar deals and provides all the investment
banking services. These banks are not limited by geographical borders, they provide
services in all the major countries in the world.

2.REGIONAL BOUTIQUE INVESTMENT BANKS

These are completely on the opposite end of the spectrum from bulge bracket banks.
These banks are smallest in size, and as the name suggests their services are concentrated
in a particular region. These banks usually do not offer the whole range of services as
well. So an example of a regional investment bank would be a California based
investment bank dealing in M&A transactions only. These banks have very few
employees, a few dozen at best. They also handle smaller sized for small local
companies, deals ranging from USD 50 to 100 million.

3.MIDDLE MARKET INVESTMENT BANKS

Middle market banks occupy a market between regional boutique banks and bulge -
bracket banks. They are bigger than the regional boutique banks but smaller than bulk
bracket banks. These banks may offer full services or specialize in one or two services.
Geographically they are wider than regional boutique banks, they may cover an expanse
of more than one state or region, but they are not multinational. They involve in deals
ranging from USD 50 million to 500 million. Some of the most well-known middle
market investment banks William Blair Co., Stifel, Lincoln International, Robert W.
Baird & Co., etc.

4.ELITE BOUTIQUE INVESTMENT BANKS

Elite boutique investment banks are a little different from all the above-mentioned types.
In dollar value of the deal size, elite boutique banks are parallel to bulge bracket
investment banks. However, unlike bulge bracket banks that have thousands of
employees, elite boutique banks have much smaller employee pool. They have operations
in multiple regions, however, are usually stronger in some regions than the others. These
banks usually provide a full range of services but are stronger in one or few services.
They may also have specialization in a particular sector, for example, an investment bank
specializing in M&A deals of the oil and gas industry. Rothschild in Europe is a classic
example of an elite boutique bank.
 Chapter-4
Objectives of Investment Banking
An Investment Banker is an intermediary between the capital markets (investors) and
corporations (borrowers). He offers strategic advice and performs financial analysis. He
also does research and analyses all public information to give advice on publicly listed
stocks and bonds to investors and sales and trading groups.
The objectives of Investment Banking include:
 Guidance
 Project Formulations
 Implementation
 Modernization
 Diversification
 Mobilizing resources
 Raising Capital
Investment banks work for companies and governments, and profit from them by raising
money through the issuance and selling of securities in capital markets and insuring
bonds, and providing the necessary advice on transactions such as mergers and
acquisitions. Most of investment banks provide strategic advisory services for
mergers, acquisitions, divestiture or other financial services for clients, like the trading of
derivatives, commodity, fixed income ,foreign exchange, and equity securities.
An Investment Banker can be considered as a total solutions provider for any corporate,
desirous of mobilizing its capital. The services provided range from investment research
to investor service on the one hand and from preparation of the offer documents to legal
compliances & post issue monitoring on the other. Investment banks carry out
multilateral functions.
Some of the important points regarding functioning of investment banking
are as follows:
 Investment banking helps public and private corporations in issuance of securities in
the primary market. They also act as intermediaries in trading for clients.
Investment banking provides financial advice to investors and helps them by assisting
in purchasing and trading securities as well as managing financial assets
Investment banking differs from commercial banking as investment banks don't
accept deposits neither do they grant retail loans
Small firms which provide services of investment banking are called boutiques. They
mainly specialize in bond trading, providing technical analysis or program trading as well
as advising for mergers and acquisitions
 CHAPTER-5

The Role of Investment Bankers

Investment banks employ investment bankers who help corporations, governments and
other groups plan and manage large projects, saving their client time and money by
identifying risks associated with the project before the client moves forward. In theory,
investment bankers are experts in their field who have their finger on the pulse of the
current investing climate, so businesses and institutions turn to investment banks for
advice on how best to plan their development, as investment bankers can tailor their
recommendations to the present state of economic affairs.

Essentially, investment banks serve as middlemen between a company and investors

when the company wants to issue stock or bonds. The investment bank assists with
pricing financial instruments to maximize revenue and with navigating regulatory
requirements. Often, when a company holds its initial public offering (IPO), an
investment bank will buy all or much of that company’s shares directly from the
company. Subsequently, as a proxy for the company holding the IPO, the investment
bank will sell the shares on the market. This makes things much easier for the company
itself, as they effectively contract out the IPO to the investment bank.

Moreover, the investment bank stands to make a profit, as it will generally price its shares
at a markup from the price it initially paid. In doing so, it also takes on a substantial
amount of risk. Though experienced analysts use their expertise to accurately price the
stock as best they can, the investment bank can lose money on the deal if it turns out it
has overvalued the stock, as in this case it will often have to sell the stock for less than it
initially paid for it.
 Chapter-6

Oraganizational structure

Core investment banking activities

Investment banking is split into front office, middle office, and back office activities.
While large service investment banks offer all lines of business, both "sell side" and "buy
side", smaller sell-side investment firms such as boutique investment banks and small
broker-dealers focus on investment banking and sales/trading/research, respectively.

Investment banks offer services to both corporations issuing securities and investors
buying securities. For corporations, investment bankers offer information on when and
how to place their securities on the open market, an activity very important to an
investment bank's reputation. Therefore, investment bankers play a very important role in
issuing new security offerings.

1.Front office

Front office is generally described as a revenue-generating role. There are two main areas
within front office: investment banking and markets[9]

 Investment banking involves advising organizations on mergers and acquisitions,

as well as a wide array of capital raising strategies.[10]
 Markets is divided into "sales and trading" (including "structuring"), and
"research".

a.Corporate finance
Corporate finance is the aspect of investment banks, which involves helping customers
raise funds in capital markets and giving advice on mergers and acquisitions (M&A); this
may involve subscribing investors to a security issuance, coordinating with bidders, or
negotiating with a merger target. A pitch book of financial information is generated to
market the bank to a potential M&A client; if the pitch is successful, the bank arranges
the deal for the client. The investment banking division (IBD) is generally divided into
industry coverage and product coverage groups. Industry coverage groups focus on a
specific industry—such as healthcare, public finance (governments), FIG (financial
institutions group), industrials, TMT (technology, media, and telecommunications), P&E
(power & energy), consumer/retail, food & beverage, corporate defense and
governance—and maintain relationships with corporations within the industry to bring in
business for the bank. Product coverage groups focus on financial products—such as
mergers and acquisitions, leveraged finance, public finance, asset finance and leasing,
structured finance, restructuring, equity, debt issuance.

b.Sales and trading

On behalf of the bank and its clients, a large investment bank's primary function is
buying and selling products. [11] In market making, traders will buy and sell financial
products with the goal of making money on each trade. Sales is the term for the
investment bank's sales force, whose primary job is to call on institutional and high-net-
worth investors to suggest trading ideas (on a caveat emptor basis) and take orders. Sales
desks then communicate their clients' orders to the appropriate trading rooms, which can
price and execute trades, or structure new products that fit a specific need. Structuring has
been a relatively recent activity as derivatives have come into play, with highly technical
and numerate employees working on creating complex structured products which
typically offer much greater margins and returns than underlying cash securities. In 2010,
investment banks came under pressure as a result of selling complex derivatives contracts
to local municipalities in Europe and the US.[12] Strategists advise external as well as
internal clients on the strategies that can be adopted in various markets. Ranging from
derivatives to specific industries, strategists place companies and industries in a
quantitative framework with full consideration of the macroeconomic scene. This
strategy often affects the way the firm will operate in the market, the direction it would
like to take in terms of its proprietary and flow positions, the suggestions salespersons
give to clients, as well as the way structurers create new products. Banks also undertake
risk through proprietary trading, performed by a special set of traders who do not
interface with clients and through "principal risk"—risk undertaken by a trader after he
buys or sells a product to a client and does not hedge his total exposure. Banks seek to
maximize profitability for a given amount of risk on their balance sheet. Note here that
the FRTB framework has underscored the distinction between the "Trading book" and the
"Banking book" - i.e. assets intended for active trading, as opposed to assets expected to
be held to maturity - and market risk capital requirements will differ accordingly. The
necessity for numerical ability in sales and trading has created jobs for physics, computer
science, mathematics and engineering Ph.D.s who act as quantitative analysts.

c.Research

The securities research division reviews companies and writes reports about their
prospects, often with "buy", "hold" or "sell" ratings. Investment banks typically have sell-
side analysts which cover various industries. Their sponsored funds or proprietary trading
offices will also have buy-side research. While the research division may or may not
generate revenue (based on policies at different banks), its resources are used to assist
traders in trading, the sales force in suggesting ideas to customers, and investment
bankers by covering their clients. Research also serves outside clients with investment
advice (such as institutional investors and high-net-worth individuals) in the hopes that
these clients will execute suggested trade ideas through the sales and trading division of
the bank, and thereby generate revenue for the firm. Research also covers credit research,
fixed income research, macroeconomic research, and quantitative analysis, all of which
are used internally and externally to advise clients. With MiFID II requiring sell-side
research teams in banks to charge for research, the business model for research is
increasingly becoming revenue-generating. External rankings of researchers are
becoming increasingly important and bank have started the process of monetizing
research publications, client interaction times, meetings with clients etc. All research
groups provide a key service in terms of advisory and strategy. There is a potential
conflict of interest between the investment bank and its analysis, in that published
analysis can impact the performance of a security (in the secondary markets or an initial
public offering) or influence the relationship between the banker and its corporate clients,
thereby affecting the bank's profitability .[citation needed]

2.Middle office

This area of the bank includes treasury management, internal controls (such as Risk), and
internal corporate strategy.

Corporate treasury is responsible for an investment bank's funding, capital structure

management, and liquidity risk monitoring.

Internal control tracks and analyzes the capital flows of the firm, the finance division is
the principal adviser to senior management on essential areas such as controlling the
firm's global risk exposure and the profitability and structure of the firm's various
businesses via dedicated trading desk product control teams. In the United States and
United Kingdom, a comptroller (or financial controller) is a senior position, often
reporting to the chief financial officer.

a.Risk management

Risk management involves analyzing the market and credit risk that an investment bank
or its clients take onto their balance sheet during transactions or trades. Middle office
functions such as credit risk focuses around capital markets activities, such as syndicated
loans, bond issuance, restructuring, and leveraged finance. They are not considered front
office as they tend not to be client-facing and rather 'control' banking functions from
taking too much risk. Market risk is the control function for the Markets business and
conducts review of sales and trading activities utilizing the VaR model. Other risk groups
include country risk, operational risk, and counterparty risks which may or may not exist
on a bank to bank basis. Front office risks include credit risk solutions. They are a key
part of capital market transactions, involving debt structuring, exit financing, loan
amendment, project finance, leveraged buy-outs, and sometimes portfolio hedging. Front
office market risk activities provide service to investors via derivative solutions, portfolio
management, portfolio consulting, and risk advisory. Well-known risk groups in
JPMorgan Chase, Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs and Barclays engage in revenue-
generating activities involving debt structuring, restructuring, syndicated loans, and
securitization for clients such as corporates, governments, and hedge funds. J.P. Morgan
IB Risk works with investment banking to execute transactions and advise investors,
although its Finance & Operation risk groups focus on middle office functions involving
internal, non-revenue generating, operational risk controls.[13][14][15] Credit default swap,
for instance, is a famous credit risk hedging solution for clients invented by J.P. Morgan's
Blythe Masters during the 1990s. The Loan Risk Solutions group[16] within Barclays'
investment banking division and Risk Management and Financing group[17] housed in
Goldman Sach's securities division are client-driven franchises. However, risk
management groups such as credit risk, operational risk, internal risk control, and legal
risk are restrained to internal business functions including firm balance-sheet risk
analysis and assigning trading cap that are independent of client needs, even though these
groups may be responsible for deal approval that directly affects capital market activities.

Internal corporate strategy tackling firm management and profit strategy, unlike corporate
strategy groups that advise clients, is non-revenue regenerating yet a key functional role
within investment banks.

This list is not a comprehensive summary of all middle-office functions within an

investment bank, as specific desks within front and back offices may participate in
internal functions.[18]

3.Back office

The back office data-checks trades that have been conducted, ensuring that they are not
wrong, and transacts the required transfers. Many banks have outsourced operations. It is,
however, a critical part of the bank.[citation needed]

a.Technology
Every major investment bank has considerable amounts of in-house software, created by
the technology team, who are also responsible for technical support. Technology has
changed considerably in the last few years as more sales and trading desks are using
electronic trading. Some trades are initiated by complex algorithms for hedging purposes.

Firms are responsible for compliance with local and foreign government regulations and
internal regulations.

4.Other businesses

 Global transaction banking is the division which provides cash management,

custody services, lending, and securities brokerage services to institutions. Prime
brokerage with hedge funds has been an especially profitable business, as well as
risky, as seen in the bank run with Bear Stearns in 2008.
 Investment management is the professional management of various securities
(stocks, bonds, etc.) and other assets (e.g., real estate), to meet specified
investment goals for the benefit of investors. Investors may be institutions
(insurance companies, pension funds, corporations etc.) or private investors (both
directly via investment contracts and more commonly via investment funds e.g.,
mutual funds). The investment management division of an investment bank is
generally divided into separate groups, often known as private wealth
management and private client services.
 Merchant banking can be called "very personal banking"; merchant banks offer
capital in exchange for share ownership rather than loans, and offer advice on
management and strategy. Merchant banking is also a name used to describe the
private equity side of a firm.[19] Current examples include Defoe Fournier & Cie.
and JPMorgan Chase's One Equity Partners. The original J.P. Morgan & Co.,
Rothschilds, Barings and Warburgs were all merchant banks. Originally,
"merchant bank" was the British English term for an investment bank.
 Chapter-7

What are risks associated with Investment Banking products?

Investment banking involves finances that are dependent on many, many factors; some
expected or unexpected events either in the over all economy or the financial markets.
Risk can also arise from erroneous oversight or foul intention, which causes erosion in
asset values and, consequently, reduces the bank’s intrinsic value.

Eight types of bank risks

• Credit risk (relates to the creditworthiness of the company that the bank invests in)
• Market risk (relates to the performance of the financial markets)
• Operational risk (relates to operation process flows and glitches in due diligence)
• Liquidity risk (some stocks show great value but depreciate when liquidated)
• Business risk (the company might have unexpected setbacks that affect its net worth)
• Reputational risk (related more to the history of the individuals or promoters of the
company)
• Systemic risk (these are as the name suggests, systemic and operation related)
• Moral hazard (unlawful and unfriendly practices such as ethics, etc.)
 Chapter-8

The dark side of investment banking

Fluctuating fortunes

 Investment banking (IB) is an endless party to only a very few people. To others,
it’s a roller-coaster ride at best. An exhilarating high is almost always followed by
a steep fall, as each deal, or transaction, depends on a number of factors, many of
them external. A change of mind on the part of one of the parties involved, or a
shift in their business circumstances, can make or mar a deal. In the long term,
there are also economic cycles and markets, with their ups and downs, to worry
about.

 In the recent past, the IB industry has gone through particularly tumultuous times.
The economic slowdown and the crash of capital markets almost wiped out
banks’ billion-dollar profits, leading to largescale retrenchment and cutback in
operations. Corporate scandals muddied banks’ reputation and put the spotlight on
their questionable business practices and ethics. Scam-tainted banks also took
down with them other global institutions and financial systems. They lost the
investor’s trust.

Salary

 To those aspiring for finance jobs, compensation is the main attraction that IB
holds. But salaries in the IB industry see many ups and downs, in tune with the
crests and troughs of banks’ business. Instability and insecurity are what recruits
sign up for: companies do a lot of hiring in the boom time and shed staff during
the lean season.

 The financial incentives may be higher in IB, but there are still many areas of
finance, such as PE, corporate insurance, commercial banking, and wealth
 management, where the money is just as good. In IB, you may start out better than
professionals in other fields, but it is only when you get to the top and are almost
a celebrity that you actually see the millions in bonus that you always heard
about.

 For the rest of the cogs in the wheel, compensation is dependent on the deals they
helped close. So, if you are getting ready to go into IB mainly for the money, you
may do well to review all the pluses and minuses of an IB job and the sacrifices
that come with it. Listen to your mind and make a thorough comparison of your
options.

Sustainability

 Getting into IB is tough, but sustaining yourself at the workplace is tougher. You
may be smart, may interview well, and get hired. But once on the job, you may
find out that you are no magician and can’t do everything well and always come
up to the expectations of your organization.

 For example, you may not have as much ability to think strategically as your
bosses and you yourself imagined. You may not be able to digest the tons of
business information that come your way and make sense of it. Or you may start
well on your job but falter at higher levels where teamwork and leadership skills
are prime requisites and you don’t have them.

Repetitive tasks

 Junior analysts at banks start out looking for challenging tasks such as complex
analyses. But six or eight months down the road they may realize that they are
only doing the same tasks over and over again. Often, it is just the name of the
client company that changes. Then there comes a time when they stop hoping to
learn anything new on the job.
 Colleagues

 Generally, in IB, you are likely to be surrounded by a sea of overachievers who

seem to be driven by some preternatural, money-minded force. That’s good,
except that some of these people also have big egos and are selfish and hard to get
along with, as many disgruntled investment bankers confess and complain
anonymously on online forums.

 You may consider yourself ambitious, but not after seeing how some of your
colleagues look out for themselves. You may find yourself lost among all those
Type-As.

 If you are incompetent, you will be eventually shown the door and that is that. If
you’re reliable and have the ability to solve problems quickly and accurately, you
are likely to strike a great rapport with your boss and earn his praise. He may
reward you by giving you more work than he gives your colleagues.

 Depending on colleagues can sometimes prove disastrous. For example, an

associate almost always needs the support of her junior colleague, say, an analyst.
But, sometimes, the analyst might lack the capability and commitment to
complete tasks on time. The associate would now have to pick up after the slacker
colleague, too.

Culture

 Because of the go-getters and Type-A personalities all around, the IB

environment doesn’t get to develop a nurturing culture. No one has the time to
train or counsel you. You better be a self-starter and learn by yourself.

 Some banks explore ways to keep their employees reasonably happy. For
example, a few have introduced parental leave and a system by which couples can
take some time off together. Other banks may have a terrible culture with no
 sensitive approaches to HR management.

 Work-life balance

 That most i-bankers struggle to achieve a decent work-life balance is hardly a

secret. Weekend plans regularly get cancelled, and live projects might come one
after another and prevent you from doing any re-planning. Longer vacations may
remain a distant dream. So also finding “quality time” or any time for your life
partner.
 Clients are demanding, and most tasks have tough deadlines. For most young i-
bankers, 100-hour work weeks are common. Most don’t manage to find the
energy for anything else. Long hours over a long period of time cause a quick
burnout.

 Life is hardest at the lower rungs. You may get away doing less time higher up,
but you may be on call from clients all the time. This makes daily life
unpredictable. For example, you may work in New York and have a client in
Hong Kong who demands a phone discussion at the end of normal work hours for
him. Quite comfortable for this client, but you have at least couple of precious
hours of bedtime still left when you force yourself to take that call.

 An M&A analyst at a boutique investment bank says he decided to leave for a

private equity job after two years. He says that although he got opportunities to
enjoy various life cultures at his bank, he would certainly not miss them, as the
job routine forced him to give up his personal life. Some of his colleagues worked
excruciating schedules, clocking 140 work hours and straight five days at the
office.

Lifestyle

 Suicide among invest bankers is common, especially since the economic crisis of
2007 and 2008. Young bankers are said to be more prone to take their own lives
 because of work pressure. Goldman Sachs reduced its working hours for interns
to 17 hours a day after a 21-year-old Bank of America intern was found dead in
his shower after working 72 straight hours: he had suffered epileptic seizures.

 Young employees seem particularly diffident and unwilling to protest when their
bosses overburden them with work. Many don’t find time for anything else. The
average working day has been reported to be 14-19 hours a day, with all-nighters
on Sundays thrown in. The work level is also intense. Reports have it that it is a
considerable professional risk for a young banker to take a five-minute coffee
break without grabbing her phone to take her clients’ calls or see their emails.

 The so-called “wolves of Wall Street” are actually “sad and abused dogs,” says
one banker. Million-dollar stories are rare in real life. Most lower-level bankers
have never gone to a yacht party or enjoyed a drink sitting on the hoods of their
Lamborghinis. Rather, many are student-loan-burdened young men and women
trying to pay off their debts as quickly as possible by working endlessly. They put
up with “the most boring stuff imaginable” so that they can pursue their real
interests and passion someday.

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 One banker says that the bad impression about investment bankers that society
has formed based on scandals is well-deserved. Investment banks were originally
established to extend loans to entrepreneurs who had great ideas but didn’t have
the money to bring them to life. It was thought that banks would also help society
by helping businessmen and the economy thrive.

 But now banks seem to exist only for billionaires and their families and friends.
Not much money is trickling down to people who need it the most. Even as young
bankers are being squeezed dry of their youth, and “unwanted” employees are
being sent home, the big guns continue to live their lavish dreams without guilt.