Do books matter?

As an IB analyst, so much of our time is spent making slides for books, and occasionally building financial models.

With that said, I feel like the books are rarely even read by clients during meetings with MDs. The numbers are so skewed to paint whatever picture the MD wants, and I'm sure the clients know that.

We obsess so much over "attention to detail," and understandably so, because a misplaced footnote or a wrong number would make the MD look incompetent and potentially unworthy of a mandate.

But I can't imagine changing colors or fonts, the random analysis or wordsmithing changes will make a difference in a bakeoff situation.

So do books actually matter in winning a deal?

2 Comments
 

Sit iure quia dolor reiciendis. Nostrum nihil hic eos sint debitis doloremque voluptates dolores.

Qui ab perferendis perspiciatis quia quam omnis corrupti velit. Qui error eum accusantium explicabo corrupti repudiandae. Incidunt unde fugiat ad numquam nihil eos repellendus.

Qui qui sint odit fugiat et dolores voluptatem. Dolorem iste est omnis similique veniam ratione velit.

Quam et blanditiis quis qui sit exercitationem sint. Dolorum inventore porro laudantium ad optio.

Career Advancement Opportunities

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 08 97.8%
  • Goldman Sachs 02 97.3%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Evercore No 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.8%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.3%

Professional Growth Opportunities

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.8%
  • JPMorgan No 97.3%

Total Avg Compensation

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (50) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (26) $182
  • Intern/Summer Associate (14) $159
  • 1st Year Analyst (84) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (75) $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

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...”