What can you tell me about Wachovia and Barclays?

Hello! I was just wondering about Wachovia securities & Barclays and would like to know how these two banks stack up with other banks on the street. (Reputation) How are the exit ops from them? How would you rank them and how do you see their future? What are their cultures of these two banks like? Thanks in advance. Kind regards.

 
alstmdrll:
Wachovia: If you have another offer, take that one and run.

Barclays: respected DCM. Not a whole lot of M&A

Wow, didn't know the reputation of wachovia was that bad. Thanks alstmdrll for replying. Just curious, but can you tell me why you feel that way about wachovia. Can you or anyone tell me more about wachovia besides it reputation. (culture, exit ops, and etc)

What more can you tell me about Barclays. How does Wachovia and Barclays compare with Bank of America. (BofA)

Thanks again.

 
Best Response

I have a buddy that just accepted a position in Wachovia leveraged finance. In general their leveraged finance group is very strong and quickly gaining ground on BofA, JPM, and Citigroup. They are passing up alot of middle market opportunities (due to their limited resources) to focus on large cap work for some top PE shops. Clearly...Wachovia's objective is to move away from the middle market over the next couple of years with the end goal of being competitive at the bulge level. Personally, I believe they will become a top tier firm because of (a) their balance sheet, and (b) their aggresive culture.

That said, I've heard Wachovia is a VERY difficult place to work. The leveraged finance group is cut throat competitive. Senior bankers are extremely demanding of analysts and associates. They do not tolerate mistakes and have significant expectations. My buddy says he basically has to look over his shoulder every day. In general, it's a gloomy environment. However, pay is supposedly on par with the larger shops.

 
Monopolisf:
I have a buddy that just accepted a position in Wachovia leveraged finance. In general their leveraged finance group is very strong and quickly gaining ground on BofA, JPM, and Citigroup. They are passing up alot of middle market opportunities (due to their limited resources) to focus on large cap work for some top PE shops. Clearly...Wachovia's objective is to move away from the middle market over the next couple of years with the end goal of being competitive at the bulge level. Personally, I believe they will become a top tier firm because of (a) their balance sheet, and (b) their aggresive culture.

That said, I've heard Wachovia is a VERY difficult place to work. The leveraged finance group is cut throat competitive. Senior bankers are extremely demanding of analysts and associates. They do not tolerate mistakes and have significant expectations. My buddy says he basically has to look over his shoulder every day. In general, it's a gloomy environment. However, pay is supposedly on par with the larger shops.

you mean YOU just accepted a position there.

 

I'll be working at Barclays Capital in London. Great firm, the people are amazing and they treat their analysts really well because they are growing and trying to retain talent. In Europe Barcap is an FI monster. In the past year it has won European Bond House of the Decade (crazy b/c it was founded in 1997), Best Foreign Exchange House, Commodities House of the Year, etc.

 

Quae aut sunt aut. Rerum a officia consectetur quia qui placeat et iusto. Et sequi eaque neque voluptatibus non ipsa consequatur. Dignissimos non voluptas ipsum consectetur omnis quia.

Laborum et sunt id ut magni ut quaerat. Qui est dolorum soluta molestiae dolorem. Nulla explicabo aut ut suscipit qui et. Veritatis quia commodi quibusdam fugit quasi. Ut iste pariatur sequi corporis ipsa reiciendis.

Et sed consequatur omnis sed itaque sunt. Qui et neque voluptas rerum earum. Esse voluptas nostrum cum mollitia.

Career Advancement Opportunities

May 2024 Investment Banking

  • Jefferies & Company 02 99.4%
  • Lazard Freres No 98.8%
  • Goldman Sachs 18 98.3%
  • Harris Williams & Co. New 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 04 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

May 2024 Investment Banking

  • Harris Williams & Co. 18 99.4%
  • JPMorgan Chase 10 98.8%
  • Lazard Freres 05 98.3%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.7%
  • William Blair 03 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

May 2024 Investment Banking

  • Lazard Freres 01 99.4%
  • Jefferies & Company 02 98.8%
  • Goldman Sachs 17 98.3%
  • Moelis & Company 07 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 05 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

May 2024 Investment Banking

  • Director/MD (5) $648
  • Vice President (21) $373
  • Associates (91) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (14) $181
  • Intern/Summer Associate (33) $170
  • 2nd Year Analyst (68) $168
  • 1st Year Analyst (205) $159
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (146) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
6
kanon's picture
kanon
98.9
7
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
numi's picture
numi
98.8
10
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”