kahuna4637:

What location, NYC? You say fixed income and equities desks are you working under the Global Markets summer internships. Once you clarify ill provide you will some background on the different desks there (I know a lot about NYC not to much about the other offices, its much different overseas & bigger for that matter).

Yes, in NYC. And yes I will be interning in the Global Markets program

They're building out their M&A group as a standalone group I believe, whereas M&A was previously done out of the coverage groups. I believe they focus mostly on TMT and GIG as of now.

That said, they require a full suit and tie to work every day. "Sometimes on Fridays, people don't wear ties." That sucks.

Nomura NYC has yet to have any significant deal flow, as they are still building. I think they started off 2010 with like 20 bankers, but have been hiring aggressively throughout the year and are now at 100+. They hired a lot of solid ex-BB bankers, so deal flow should pickup in the future.

I think they're focusing mainly on FIG, natural resources and Industrials.

If an expanding firm is focusing on X industry, that tells me that group will be bigger than others... on a per analyst basis, that doesn't necessarily equate to more dealflow.

I'd look at:

1- what industries are currently very transactional?

2- which groups have poached very well known bankers (likely in press releases or Reuters)?

3- whats your end goal? If its PE, I'd want to be in a M&A, Sponsors, LevFin group or a coverage group in an industry which is a PE darling (i.e. not FIG or Natural Resources, but probably consumer/retail, industrials, chemicals).

I dont know much about specific Nomura groups as far as IBD goes but they picked 5 industry groups to dive headfirst into and are specializing first until they get flow there, then will try to break into other ones so there will not be that many different industries, however like an above post said, they are all ex BB guys, some with some impressive history.

I appreciate the replies. Does anyone have an opinion on whether or not it's better to be in a product or coverage group when the firm is rapidly expanding/not as well-established, like Nomura is?

My gut tells me that a product group would be a good choice, but I have no experience in the industry going into this summer so my opinion isn't well-informed.

Nomura is a balance sheet shop right? Can't go wrong with Lev Fin or DCM

Aim for Financial Sponsors if you can. The group is headed by a strong MD (Mark Epley, former Global head of FSG at DB) and the NY group has actually sent some kids to decent PE exits in the past few years (Warburg Pincus, Rhone Group). I dont think the team is very big though.

Other than that, I would aim for Lev Fin. I would stay away from the industry groups/M&A - Nomura is pretty much a non-existent player and has very little brand recognition