Jun 02, 2022

Public vs Private Credit

Obviously by nature private credit is going to be more resilient in a rising rate environment but curious as someone entering a career in public fixed income how the industry is positioned for this and whether or not rising rates as well as general shifts to PC could be a potential headwind?

15 Comments
 

Wouldn’t worry about it. Both paths have their pros and cons- think about it from an issuers perspective. Pros of a syndicated deal are cheaper price. Pros of a private credit deal are speed, certainty, and ability to handle complexity. Depends on what a certain issuer / sponsor is prioritizing - but can assure you cheaper debt will always be in demand

 
Most Helpful

Both markets are here to stay as mainstream asset classes. Private credit is a lot more bubbly today so just recognize that there’s going to be a shakeout at some point if you’re looking into origination side of things (vs. distressed is opposite, forward outlook is strong). But the mainstay players like Ares will be fine. 

These are quite different jobs so I would prioritize what type of work you are better suited for. Do you want to do investigative research and take contrarian views in the public market and follow earnings? Or do you want to execute deals and move onto next one? Do you want to get paid like a HF comp trajectory (public) or IB trajectory (private)? Both and pros and cons. 

It would be a mistake to make career decision based on which market is growing *today*. Your success will come down much more to if you are strong investor within the chosen space. 

 

Thanks so much for the reply. I think I definitely have more interest in the public side of things and uncovering value there. I do worry about the progression of active management/generally the stability, but I guess both of those risks are mitigated to some degree in fixed income?

 
student65

Thanks so much for the reply. I think I definitely have more interest in the public side of things and uncovering value there. I do worry about the progression of active management/generally the stability, but I guess both of those risks are mitigated to some degree in fixed income?

Just to be clear, by public credit I am talking about L/S Credit and Distressed/Special Sits. Long-only HY at select shops like Artisan, PIMCO, Beach Point types work too if you want to optimize for stability and not max comp. If we’re talking like IG mutual fund, you should 1000% go into private credit instead. 
None of these areas have passive pressure. HYG is a joke and easy to beat. That’s not the benchmark but more so relative performance against peer funds. 

 

Aut commodi quis esse aperiam in quas modi. Et fugiat quam quo quo magni facilis voluptatibus voluptatibus. Excepturi natus et velit dolores reiciendis quas. At ipsum sed ut. Ullam sed adipisci assumenda quos. Officiis quia consectetur sequi possimus blanditiis.

Harum qui est impedit qui aut consequuntur omnis. Nisi ullam voluptatibus dignissimos vero. Quo qui et sunt nisi nemo non.

Aspernatur explicabo enim dolores perferendis ea et. Veniam maiores id voluptates sit magni optio ut qui. Ducimus iure dolor dolore et rerum fugit nemo voluptas.

Career Advancement Opportunities

November 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 99.0%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Guggenheim Partners 02 97.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 97.4%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

November 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 99.0%
  • Evercore 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.9%
  • BMO Capital Markets 13 97.4%

Professional Growth Opportunities

November 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 99.0%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.9%
  • JPMorgan No 97.4%

Total Avg Compensation

November 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (17) $409
  • Associates (58) $261
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (29) $183
  • Intern/Summer Associate (16) $161
  • 1st Year Analyst (84) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (77) $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
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
3
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
4
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
5
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
6
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
7
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
8
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
9
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
10
Jamoldo's picture
Jamoldo
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...”