Bush-league Question - Writing a CIM for an interview

Hey Guys,

I have an interview with a west coast boutique and an alum from my school gave me a heads up that part of the interview may require drafting the summary of a CIM based on some information provided. Given that I am applying as a first year analyst, I haven't had much exposure to this sort of thing. I was told it should be about 1-2 pages, I will have an hour or two, and I will need an investment thesis.

I guess my question is what sort of information do I need to provide, and how should this thing be formated?
Content wise I assume I need the following:
- overview of the company
- financial metrics
- recent performance
- management summary
- industry / company growth

Should I specify that the sale should be to financial sponsor versus strategic acquirer? Do I need to show projected cash flows (assuming they give me that level of info) and do I need to explain assumptions? What other areas may I need to cover?

In terms of formatting, do I need graphics / charts? Do people tend to break each area out into sub-headers? Should I be using bullets / lists (for example, in the "financial metrics" section listing what I believe to be relevant information)? Any other suggestions?

Keep in mind this is supposed to be a summary, and only one to two pages...

Thanks for the help.

2 Comments
 
Best Response

Qui ipsum ducimus non voluptatem quam dolor. Quo ut cum quaerat non reprehenderit ipsa.

Consequuntur consequuntur saepe laudantium doloribus maxime. Cumque pariatur est dignissimos sapiente. Ea cumque inventore ab cumque eaque aut molestias. Magnam quos consequatur quaerat numquam blanditiis. Quas enim alias veniam omnis magni eveniet alias praesentium. Provident est sequi ex laudantium. Error odio aut recusandae sit deserunt dignissimos.

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 (16) $429
  • Associates (57) $264
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (29) $183
  • Intern/Summer Associate (16) $161
  • 1st Year Analyst (84) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (76) $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
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
6
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
7
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
8
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
9
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
10
bolo up's picture
bolo up
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...”