They fall under the category of Wholesale Banking Services or also called Merchant Banking
Article Highlights
- Key Characteristics, Fun Facts
- What Do Investment Bankers Do?
- Equity Financing
- Underwrtiting
- M&A
- Type Of Clients They Serve
- How To Become An Investment Banker
Fun Facts for Aspirants!
- Analysts who work at investment banks tend to spend up to 80-90 hours per week at the office (i.e., 16-18 hours a day)
- It is one of the highest paying jobs in the world of finance
- Bonuses can be higher than the annual salary if you are effective at your work
- Analysts are the best entry point if you want to become an investment banker
- All bulge bracket banks offer Analyst programs worldwide
What do Investment Bankers Do?
Investment Bankers are financial advisors and act as middlemen between corporations and investors. If a business needs capital and investors need to spend their money on profitable organizations, Investment Bankers merge these two ends by helping both parties.
Below are some of the major work Investment Bankers do:
- Equity Financing
Corporations and PSUs try to raise capital by offering equity ownership in the market. It is one of the most cost-effective ways companies get a massive amount of funding. In that scenario, Investment bankers help corporations in preparing the prospectus for the listing of the shares. Investment bankers also take care of the regulators’ guidelines from time to time.
- Underwriting
Investment bankers also help corporations in underwriting. Underwriters collaborate with the corporations to determine the initial offering price of the securities, buy the securities from the corporation, and sell the securities to investors through its distribution network.
- M&A
M&A is usually a lengthy task involving multiple negotiations, planning, and following regulatory requirements. In that scenario, Investment Bankers play the role of an advisor so that the deal comes at a fair price.
Type of clients they serve
Investment Banks serve a wide range of clients across the globe. Below we have penned down the most significant sectors in which investment banks help raise capital and perform M&A.
- Government
Investment Banks help governments build funding and trade shares.
- Institutions
Investment banks help Institutional investors trade securities by providing researched data.
- Corporations
Investment banks aid private and public organizations in getting IPOs, M&A, and restructuring.
How to Become an Investment Banker?
Generally, the profile of investment banking features a minimal requirement of a bachelor’s degree in economics, finance, business, accounting. Moreover, an MBA (preferably from Ivy League) would be an added advantage for the Associate position.
To get a detailed understanding, please see our other blog “How To Get Into An Investment Bank (Skills & Requirements)”
