IBD Technical Interview Question (GS/JPM/MS)

"How would I calculate “break-even synergies” in an M&A deal and what does the number mean?

To do this, you would set the EPS accretion / dilution to $0.00 and then back-solve in Excel to get the required synergies to make the deal neutral to EPS.

It’s important because you want an idea of whether or not a deal “works” mathematically, and a high number for the break-even synergies tells you that you’re going to need a lot of cost savings or revenue synergies to make it work. "

Can anyone explain the intuition behind this? I am having a hard time understanding it. Perhaps a link to an example would be helpful. Thanks in advance.

1 Comments
 
Most Helpful

Dicta aspernatur asperiores corporis quisquam accusamus at optio. Et voluptatem non cumque vitae delectus. Distinctio et delectus velit eum. Et est est eius voluptatem. Non mollitia dicta consequatur. Optio non iusto sint laboriosam aspernatur neque aut.

Animi quae et consequatur debitis at ut quasi. Voluptas assumenda repellendus optio et sed eos.

Career Advancement Opportunities

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.3%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

September 2026 Investment Banking

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

Professional Growth Opportunities

September 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

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (51) $260
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (26) $182
  • Intern/Summer Associate (14) $159
  • 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
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
6
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
7
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
8
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
9
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
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...”