24 Comments
 

Tony is correct, Baird currently is a much better M&A shop but WFS is on a big growth trajectory and they are a BB firm. I've been speaking with a lot of their employees (in the Energy and Industrial groups specificially) and they're anticipating much more M&A deal flow. They've come a long way since acquiring Wachovia and I may be naive in saying this, but I anticipate a big upside in the future (especially if you consider their enormous balance sheet and cross-selling). And Warren Buffett. Nuff said.

And just to clarify, I do not work at WFS

 

The only people saying WF are people who haven't worked in banking or work for WF. That isn't to say WF isn't a good place to be, but I'd take Baird if my end goal was PE, unless you absolutely hate Milwaukee.

Westcoast has no idea what he's talking about. WF isn't a BB (at least not yet) and everyone is going to say they anticipate more deal flow. I know several people who have worked in WF's energy group - doesn't take much to double your m&a deal flow when you don't do that many m&a deals.

 
MMBanker14

The only people saying WF are people who haven't worked in banking or work for WF. That isn't to say WF isn't a good place to be, but I'd take Baird if my end goal was PE, unless you absolutely hate Milwaukee.

Westcoast has no idea what he's talking about. WF isn't a BB (at least not yet) and everyone is going to say they anticipate more deal flow. I know several people who have worked in WF's energy group - doesn't take much to double your m&a deal flow when you don't do that many m&a deals.

I agreed earlier w/ Tony that currently Blair is a better bank and I stand with you in saying that Baird is a better path into PE.

I was just arguing that WFS may be an attractive place to be in the future. As you know, WFS started ~5 yrs ago. It would not be crazy to think that a bank w/ such a large BS like WF is poised for growth. They do a lot of JBR debt issuances, sure, and that's not attractive to most people, I get it, but my personal opinion is that they will grow

 

doesn't even know the difference between blair and Baird

westcoastmonkey8 MMBanker14:

The only people saying WF are people who haven't worked in banking or work for WF. That isn't to say WF isn't a good place to be, but I'd take Baird if my end goal was PE, unless you absolutely hate Milwaukee.

Westcoast has no idea what he's talking about. WF isn't a BB (at least not yet) and everyone is going to say they anticipate more deal flow. I know several people who have worked in WF's energy group - doesn't take much to double your m&a deal flow when you don't do that many m&a deals.

I agreed earlier w/ Tony that currently Blair is a better bank and I stand with you in saying that Baird is a better path into PE.

I was just arguing that WFS may be an attractive place to be in the future. As you know, WFS started ~5 yrs ago. It would not be crazy to think that a bank w/ such a large BS like WF is poised for growth. They do a lot of JBR debt issuances, sure, and that's not attractive to most people, I get it, but my personal opinion is that they will grow

 

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