42 Comments
 

Same ones that were prestigious 20 years ago, which are the same from 50 years ago, which are mostly the same from 75 years ago. It's always the same.

 

What about the fast growing boutiques, for example, that weren't around 20 years ago? Some of those banks have definitely surpassed some of the bulge bracket banks. I don't think it has necessarily been the same the past 75 years.

 

Yeah...Lehman is still around...its just called Barclays now...I know how you will take that, but there is a reason people still had their Lehman business cards around there even 5 years after it failed.

Same with Bear...JP Morgan...its all the same. JP Morgan has been and always will be great. GS, MS...you name it. Its all the same. People all just get wrapped up into the strongest guys - Lehman to Barcap was just a reverse merger where the smaller company kept the name.

Drexel had like 10 good years, so its asinine to use that as an example.

 

I get that you are trying to find the next hot bank to work at ... not a bad strategy but there is so much that goes into this. all it takes is one top md or head of a group to jump ship and all of a sudden your team's dealflow dries up and there goes everything. BBs and EBs are always going to be a safe bet. but timing the next boutique, good luck.

 
Controversial

Thoughts after talking to couple MDs during recruiting/coffee chats etc

GS will still be top but JPM will be tied with MS for second if not ahead. One of the senior partners at GS jumped to JPM and told me that because of JPM’s balance sheet its easy to see how they can get even better the next couple of years.

Barclays (assuming activists don’t change it) should be top (if not already) european IB firm and will be on par with the likes of BAML/Citi

 

LOL at insecure JPM analysts claiming they are on par with MS / GS. JPM have had their balance sheet for years, yet don't manage to top M&A league tables. There is a reason for that.

 

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