A common question in IB interviews is the simple but often overlooked question of “What is Investment Banking?” and I hope this article sheds light on how to answer this question : )
An overview of the article is as follows:
What Do Investment Banks Do?
Broadly speaking, investment banks assist in large, complicated financial transactions. They may provide advice on how much a company is worth and how best to structure a deal if the investment banker’s client is considering an acquisition, merger, or sale. Essentially, their services include underwriting new debt and equity securities for all types of corporations, providing aid in the sale of securities, and helping to facilitate mergers and acquisitions, reorganizations, and broker trades for both institutions and private investors. They also may issue securities as a means of raising money for the client groups and create the necessary U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) documentation for a company to go public.