Top MM v/s. Top Japanese

Please help me decide. I have offers in NY IBD at both banks. Municipal Finance in a top MM (think BNP Paribas, HSBC, RBC), and Fin Sponsors in a top Japanese shop (think Mitsui, Mizuho, Nomura).
I also have non IB-offers: F500 finance department, M&A advisory in big4 accounting

I'm more inclined towards IB. I wanted your opinions- exit ops, culture, etc.

Thanks internet :)

15 Comments
 

This, RBC is in another universe compared to the rest. It's competing with lower BB to lead deals in sectors it's strong in.

Be excellent to each other, and party on, dudes.
 

RBC easily, it's a BB and shouldn't be grouped with the others listed here.

 

RBC does significantly better than HSBC and BNP Paribas, at least in the US. But muni finance is barely IB. I'd probably do Sponsors at Nomura and then transfer after a year or after your summer

 

It's not seen as as prestigious as other areas of IB. In a lot of banks muni finance isn't even under the IB division. It depends on the bank as to how easy it is to move areas. But it'll be a lot harder moving from muni to IB than if you were in M&A wanting to move to industrials for example.

 

Take the offer from the Japanese bank unless you really want to be in public finance. RBC public finance is still very much a middle market shop--they do much smaller deals and many more deals than BAML/Citi/MS/JP/GS. Think tons of $30mm deals for random school districts and local governments you've never heard of.

Not sure how great dealflow is at the Japanese banks, but the skills you'd gain even just from pitching in a Sponsors group would be more transferable than public finance. I think that everyone else responding completely missed the fact that your offer is not for a classic RBC IBD group.

 
Most Helpful
"Taggart Transcontinental" Take the offer from the Japanese bank unless you really want to be in public finance. RBC public finance is still very much a middle market shop--they do much smaller deals and many more deals than BAML/Citi/MS/JP/GS. Think tons of $30mm deals for random school districts and local governments you've never heard of.

Not sure how great dealflow is at the Japanese banks, but the skills you'd gain even just from pitching in a Sponsors group would be more transferable than public finance. I think that everyone else responding completely missed the fact that your offer is not for a classic RBC IBD group.

This. Reading through the comments I was like, "wtf OP clearly stated its muni finance, yet people are suggesting RBC because their IB is solid."

I'm not too sure about Mizuho but I'd take Mitsui / Nomura easily given your choices.

 

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