How to go about making your own model assumptions

Hi all,

Disclaimer: Still a student and haven’t started banking yet so sorry if it’s a bit of a elementary question. HF is a longer term goal.

When building a 3 statement and drawing your driving assumptions, such as margins, costs, and even some balance sheet drivers such as account payables and receivables. How do you go about making convincing variant assumptions from street?

Is it by building a super detailed revenue forecast / unit economics where you can estimate all of this things? Is it back channel calls? Extrapolating from management?

Thanks!

2 Comments
 

Detail where detail makes sense. Look at what has happened historically, what were public datasets doing at the time? What was managements tone and guidance at the time? What did your cost trackers, supply chain checks, expert calls etc suggest directionally? Stuff like this.


I don’t know about B/S drivers, cant say I’ve ever tried to be differentiated on payables 

 
Most Helpful

Est expedita hic assumenda explicabo. Odio ut commodi corporis doloribus. Consequatur maiores dolorum et laudantium fugiat sed. Totam velit nobis non temporibus et. Error asperiores id sit voluptatibus et non.

Fugiat necessitatibus id quia dolore. Sed voluptates qui nihil doloribus aut vel quis. Ipsum qui excepturi ut nemo.

Voluptas omnis quasi porro non at quo. Dolorum quod perferendis officia magnam id et iure. Earum recusandae aperiam exercitationem maxime et voluptate et.

Dolor excepturi quae error voluptatem rerum est. Dignissimos fugit in ullam doloremque est et. Fugit ad qui dicta quod culpa.

Career Advancement Opportunities

August 2026 Hedge Fund

  • Point72 99.0%
  • D.E. Shaw 98.0%
  • Citadel Investment Group 97.0%
  • AQR Capital Management 96.0%
  • Magnetar Capital 95.0%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

August 2026 Hedge Fund

  • Magnetar Capital 99.0%
  • D.E. Shaw 98.0%
  • Blackstone Group 97.0%
  • Citadel Investment Group 96.0%
  • Two Sigma Investments 94.9%

Professional Growth Opportunities

August 2026 Hedge Fund

  • AQR Capital Management 99.0%
  • Point72 98.0%
  • D.E. Shaw 97.1%
  • Citadel Investment Group 96.1%
  • Magnetar Capital 95.1%

Total Avg Compensation

August 2026 Hedge Fund

  • Portfolio Manager (9) $1,648
  • Vice President (27) $464
  • Director/MD (11) $372
  • NA (9) $320
  • Engineer/Quant (83) $287
  • 3rd+ Year Associate (26) $284
  • Manager (4) $282
  • 2nd Year Associate (32) $253
  • 1st Year Associate (76) $193
  • Analysts (233) $178
  • Intern/Summer Associate (29) $145
  • Junior Trader (5) $102
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (276) $95
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
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
6
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
7
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
10
Linda Abraham's picture
Linda Abraham
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...”