Is Barclays underrated?

M&A in coverage groups, recently bumped pay to make it highest BB base, good culture (great in comparison to other BB), strong exit opps (UMM/some MF), growing in Europe

Could be wrong but Barclays sounds like a great place to be as a mid tier BB and would definitely not categorize it as a low BB (ex. UBS, DB)

 

Barclays has always been considered a strong mid-tier BB. Anyone putting it on the level of UBS/DB needs to stay off the weed.

 

True, I'd also put Barclays along with BofA when ranking from the perspective of a junior banker. League tables sometimes show Barclays slightly behind the others, but recently have also shown BAML ahead of MS, which isn't the most accurate way to think about quality of analyst program. Like you said, deal flow + exits (and now comp) is all better than the rest of the mid-tier BBs except BAML. Personally I'd take it over any non-GS/MS/JPM.  

 

Yes, it’s very underrated on this forum.

Would add to your list that 3 of the BBs ranked higher than them consistently in the M&A league tables (BofA, Citi, JPM) also have balance sheets 2-3x as large globally which allows them to get M&A credit by offering very favorable financing and other products extra large balance sheets can accommodate. Barclays has a much smaller asset arsenal with which to do this, although they also use the BS to their advantage.

 

I’m gonna be honest, talk to bankers at Barc and it becomes pretty clear pretty quickly that they lack the toxicity/ego/snakeyness found at pretty much every other bank. Not true for everyone in all groups and there are good people at every BB, but at my top target’s networking events it was night and day imo.

 
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I think BBs are just underrated in general on this forum now compared to boutiques. Especially good groups at those mid BBs are just as good as top boutiques placement wise (something I've realized working and generally just checking out good PE shops etc). You'd think from reading this website that BB like baml or barc arent that good but they are excellent, and they are still household names (e.g. sports sponsorships etc)Idk I think this post matters a lot for those people who end up not thinking baml barc etc aren't 'good' banks or they're not happy w them. Who shoot only for "top boutiques", and maybe GS/JPM/MS though they lag behind if they don't get those top boutiques. Obv there are reasons for that but there are 'small' groups w good experience… groups that don't do pitching at BBs like Barc, and groups with very good placement too.I have mentored / spoken w kids who have that top boutique or bust and don't even apply seriously to BAML / barc for example and it's not uncommon bc of this website. I remember a recent ranking that had shops like lion tree or Gugg above barc/baml and I think that's delusional. Are ppl forgetting how good these banks are? 100%, especially the 'prospects' that do the rankings lol

 

Hi, I'm a Vietnamese graduating from a non-target university in the US with 1+ years experience working in M&A investment banking boutique in Vietnam. I plan to apply for a Singaporean investment banking position in 1 year (so totally 2+ years working experience in IB Vietnam). I am taking the first steps in prepping myself for the Singapore application. Can you help guide me through the steps I need to take to prepare for such applications? What would be my chances of getting accepted? What would be my angles of breaking into SG IB? I see most of the comments are regarding fresh grad applying but not so much about 2+ year-Vietnam-IB Analyst making the jump to SG. Thank you very much!

 

hey man create another thread, you'll more likely to receive more responses; don't spam an unrelated thread i.e. this one 

 

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