Do ER boutique/smaller firms exist?

Not well-versed in the ER side of finance but I was wondering if ER boutique/smaller firms exist or if this is generally just a division of investment banks?

Like can you start an ER firm that only does ER and sells its service to financial firms and banks or is it almost exclusively part of bigger/medium-sized investment banks and firms?

6 Comments
 

Boutiques exist, but they are usually started by superstar analysts from big firms. Examples:

  • MoffettNathanson, Craig and Mike both were long-time Bernstein analysts
  • Zelman and Associates, Ivy Zelman is a hall of famer analyst who was a long-term Credit Suisse First Boston analyst
  • Telsey Advisory, Dana Telsey is a star retail analyst, used to be at Bear Stearns
  • Melius, founded by Scott Davis, who is star multi-industrial analyst, used to be at Morgan Stanley and Barclays
 

Not OP, but from a undergrad perspective how would you find these boutique firms? I heard some of the firms you listed thanks to Google and LinkedIn. Are there other sources you recommend using?

 

If you are looking for a comprehensive of sell-side research shops for your job search (beware it's a bit outdated), here:

JP / BAML / MS / Evercore ISI / Citi / Barclays / UBS / RBC / Wells Fargo / Sanford BernsteinGS / UBS / CS / DBCowen / Susquehanna / Jefferies / BMO / Macquarie / Oppenheimer / Robert Baird / Stifel / William Blair / Suntrust / Guggenheim / JMP Securities / Keybanc / Piper Jaffray / Wedbush / Mizuho / Instinet (Nomura) / Raymond James / BTIG / Janney Montgomery Scott / Cantor Fitzgerald / Stephens / MKM / SocGen / Loop Capital / Canacord Genuity / Scotiabank / TD 

Boutiques: 

MoffettNathanson, New Street Research, Wolfe, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods (KBW), Clarkson, Telsey, Leerink Partners, NeedhamMelius Research, Gordon Haskett, Nephron Research, Seaport Global, Zelman

 

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