Top 10 Reasons Prospects Should Avoid UBS Investment Bank
1. Significant Slip in the U.S. League Tables
UBS has fallen dramatically in U.S. investment banking league tables. They ranked outside the top 10 in U.S. M&A fees in early 2025, compared to peers like Barclays and Wells Fargo that have grown their share. In fact, UBS was reported as low as 23rd place in U.S. league tables in 2025, a far cry from its earlier North America presence. -WSO
2. Floundering Fee Income
UBS’s U.S. investment banking fees were estimated at just $122m in Q1 2025, roughly half of what they were in Q1 2024, marking a steep collapse in revenue generation. -wso
3. Revenue Growth Driven by Trading, Not Advisory
UBS reported a 24% YoY increase in investment banking revenues in Q1 2025, but that growth came almost entirely from Global Markets (trading), not advisory. Global Banking (advisory/ECM/DCM) remained weak. -efinancialcareers, Press Releases
4. Aggressive Layoffs & Headcount Reductions
After absorbing Credit Suisse, UBS launched five waves of job cuts starting in mid-2024. Headcount dropped from ~119,000 (mid-2023) to ~105,000 by 2025, with ~1,300 roles eliminated per quarter. Significant amount of layoffs remain as the bank was reported to be behind its internal plan.-Reuters, Marketwatch,Financial Times
5. Uncertain Strategic Commitment
On multiple earnings calls, UBS leadership emphasized Wealth & Asset Management as the “core” franchise, while IB was described as “non-core.” This raises doubts about long-term capital allocation to the U.S. advisory business. -Media Release
6. Weaker Exit Opportunities
UBS’s diminished U.S. footprint has translated into weaker placements. Headhunters focus recruiting efforts on banks with stronger league table standings, leaving UBS analysts often pointed toward mid-market PE rather than megafunds. Exits are becoming more difficult each year. -Mergers and Inquisitions
7. Compensation Gap vs. Street
UBS lifted its total bonus pool slightly in 2024 ($4.5bn → $4.7bn), but average pay for “material risk takers” was ~$2.1m—lower than Goldman Sachs ($3m) and Morgan Stanley ($2.5m). Junior pay also trails: analyst and associate bonuses are widely reported as 10–20% below bulge bracket medians. -Financial News
8. Blurred Identity
UBS lacks the firepower of U.S. balance-sheet banks and the elite boutique reputation of advisory specialists. This “in-between” position has prevented it from consistently winning mandates. Potential new Swiss capital reserve regulations may make it much more difficult to compete. -Mergers and Inquisitions
9. Growth Concerns Keep Valuation Pressured
Despite restructuring, UBS trades at ~1× forward tangible book value, compared to higher multiples for peers like Morgan Stanley. Analysts cite weak growth momentum as the key drag. -Reuters
10. Deal Flow Remains Muted
Even with a global M&A rebound, UBS has not returned to the U.S. top 10 by deal fees in 2024 and early 2025. Deal activity remains subdued compared to competitors. -Oress Releases
Finally a helpful and detailed post on UBS
This is neither helpful or detailed because it contributes nothing of new value, no wonder you all got laid off. Also putting something at the end of each with no citation isn't actual new info, it's just ChatGPT lazy copy pasting (the same laziness that got you all laid off probably)
If that’s the case, even ChatGPT knows you should stay away
Good data thanks, at this point I’d be happy with anything
Where is grinding till 2am on non fee generating work Saturday nights?
Damn what a fall from grace vs cs… seems like the analyst experience changed a lot as well
It’s like the hunger games but worse. Katniss never had heart palpitations from working on fake bake-offs at 3 am!
Jesus Christ lol
Congrats on UBS!
Delete Delete Delete Delete Delete Delete
Why would you post that?
Reject UBS, you won’t regret it
Also it has more than 100 billion in margin loans on its balance sheet - when the market crash happens it will be taken out by a combination of that, the repo lending it’s doing along with its derivative positions.
When the market goes down all the credit Swiss gunk on their books will be scary
This would be so oh so helpful if it weren't the 500th post giving the same data and saying the same things. How many of you disgruntled ex-employees are there continuously posting or is it just one or two people and their alts? This level of obsession with your former employer is not normal.
Yes Karen, I hear you
How many alt accounts do you have and continuously create to self upvote? Yall truly do need mental health help
Sorry, it’s just funny to dunk on a “bulge bracket” bank that consistently loses pitches to the likes of Wells Fargo despite working its juniors until 3am.
Let’s just face the fact that my cousin slinging real estate loans at Bank of Texas is more of a banker than anybody still at UBS. Frankly, if you still work there it’s because you’re not good enough to get a job at a real investment bank that actually does deals. UBS is a glorified retail bank.
uBS. Consistently losing every competitive bake-off is our craft
I think I speak for many people in saying that most people join an IB firm as an analyst because it offers the best exits. UBS still has UMM exits as of this year (FP - Tech, GA - M&A and Industrials, Veritas - Industrials, Oaktree - LevFin, Ares - LevFin, Platnium (CR), Stonepoint (FIG), PSG (Tech), HIG (Tech), THL (M&A) - that's a total of 10+ UMM exits this year; seems pretty doable to get UMM exits if you are good), perfectly happy with that especially when working less than peer hours and getting paid street level bonuses.
Agree, but it’s my last choice this recruiting season given it’s momentum
Momentum doesn't really matter; headhunters don't really change what groups/banks they recruit out of in such a short period of time. I know multiple others in my year (current An2) with UMM exits (fund size 6Bn+ in terms of how I am defining it) across groups, just as was the case this year. I will, however, note group matters a lot: just like this year, where the only groups with multiple were Tech, LevFin, CR, FIG, M&A, and Industrials; there was a wide difference in the number of people going to UMMs in each, which will continue to remain the case.
You act like you have a choice. An analyst is so replaceable it’s not even funny. Don’t act like these banks are chasing you.
There’s more analysts who 1) don’t get good deal reps 2) still get grinded on inhumane hours on shit non-revenue generating staffings 3) can’t exit to anything good. Cherry-picking the handful of decent PE exits is highly misleading.
Agree, that’s the almost fraudulent rhetoric you will hear from their bankers
Just be good and you'll get good staffings. You either end up as an analyst who can't exit if 1) you are bottom-bucket, or 2) you ended up in the wrong group because you did badly in placement. Either way, it's a skill issue.
Real friends dont trick friends into working at UBS. Truly inhumane place.
Take any somewhat reputable bank over us.
If I could go back, I would have taken a TD or SMBC offer over this shit.
Real friends tell friends to use league tables as one of the biggest factors. Below is the list of banks I would of chosen over UBS:
(UBS noticeably absent top 20 via LSEG)
It’s truly fucking miserable
There wouldn’t be all these posts at UBS if it were a good place to work and employees were treated well.
Have you ever considered that it's group-specific and every group in every group has a different culture, different exits, and different analyst experiences. The only thing that the data backs is that various groups have UMM exits, and that UBS has had a very weak 2025. Everything else is conjecture.
Yeah and it’s UnBelievably Shitty across the board. There are basically no juniors happy with their experience.
I definetly want to join UBS where I can work every waking hour as an analyst to fund my lazy MD’s third home and 5th car.
These lazy MDs are truly the most uninspiring and disgusting people who grind juniors over the dumbest shit and meaningless pitches to satisfy their own vanity
I did it — I quit a UBS IB group.
I wanted to share my experience and what led me to this decision. There are so many better platforms in the US that made me feel it was time to switch.
Psychosis. Only way to explain someone who clearly got fired from this place about a year ago and can’t move on…clearly dealer gave them something as boards all alight again with this person and their burner accounts…
Psychosis is the only way to explain someone who accepts a job offer here in 2025. Clearly incoming prospects don’t have attention to detail or common sense if they talk to bankers there, read these boards, check the league tables… and still join
I've explicitly told multiple prospects from my school not to join the bank
Great David Letterman style post. I use to work at UBS as an analyst and it was one of the most desirable places to be. This was a very long time ago though and European banks don’t tend perform well in the Americas
People on this forum hating UBS more than Kendrick hates Drake.
Kendrick hating Drake is at least a billion-dollar cultural event. People hating UBS is just common sense just like hating food poisoning. At least Drake still sells out arenas… UBS can’t even sell a fairness opinion without begging.
I get how people hate on here, especially with layoffs there must be many frustrated former employees but to be fair, would choose UBS any day compared to Canadian Banks and most other European banks (excl. DB / Barclays). They still have groups which will perform (Sponsor / LevFin business) and perception in the market is not changing based on 1-2 difficult years. Most importantly, I am sure they have some deep pockets to get themselves back on track over the next 1–2 years.
Translation: We suck, but as long as people don’t find out we suck, you’ll be ok
H
Significant layoffs across groups today. Hope for the best.
How about H1B abuses?
True, UBS isn’t competing head-on in U.S. advisory anymore, but it still has strengths in wealth and certain cross-border mandates. If someone’s looking for stability + decent comp (even if below GS/MS), it’s not a “bad” seat—just not elite for IB exits.
Nope it’s very bad. And if it’s a cross border mandate, typically EMEA or APAC does all the work while Americas doesn’t do much
What’s the point of this post other than to vent? No one goes to UBS by choice. That’s the best thing that worked out and they end up there. Same reason anyone works at Jefferies, BofA, WF, Barclays, Citi, JPM etc. Bc GS/MS, PJT, EVR, MoCo, CVP, LAZ passed on them.
A lot more than 10 reasons
Reason #11:
Effective immediately all MDs and EDs must be in the office 5 days a week.
In my group no one comes in on Friday so good luck! Another reason for seniors to leave UBS, and if they try to push this down to juniors (I’m sure they will passively aggressively at a minimum), it will just make the culture worse, make work life balance worse, and do nothing to generate fees.
TLDR: Another reason to quit UBS. Likely being done on purpose as management wants to get headcount lower.
Maybe the only positive UBS has going from a recruiting POV is the 4 day a week policy. RIP.
Can confirm
All the juniors.. don’t come in on Fridays. They can’t make us all come in
They sure can if they threaten layoffs for noncompliance. I’m sure all the H1B kids will come in
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