Using your balance sheet...

Hi all,

Question: how had investment banks used their balance sheets to promote their deals?

I think I have a misconception of this aspect of banking. When a bank commits its balance sheet to a deal, I'd thought that it just buys the issued securities for itself at first and then sells them to outsiders? It seems to me that these securities would sell quickly after the initial risk assumption, so they wouldn't stay along and hurt the bank. Is this true? I am aware that another very dangerous way of using balance sheets that has really hurt banks has been to buy up investment vehicles (esp risky assets). Anything else?

Thanks a lot!

5 Comments
 

The way BB's used their balance sheets to win deals was by financing acquisitions. If a company wants to make a large acquisition, a bank with a big balance sheet can afford to finance that deal because it has a large balance sheet to support large credit facilities. This is a selling point for BBs over boutiques/MMs, whose balance sheets cannot support such lending at high levels.

 
Best Response

A ad sed molestiae quam qui. Voluptas eum sit est perspiciatis voluptatibus sint quae.

Repudiandae omnis rerum sed harum optio molestias et. Ipsa sed eos est ipsum sit. Nulla aut nemo sit deserunt. Velit est quia ut dolorum laboriosam blanditiis. Aut perferendis reiciendis laborum eaque omnis amet excepturi.

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.3%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 98.8%
  • Evercore 01 98.3%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.7%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.3%
  • JPMorgan No 97.7%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (14) $434
  • Associates (44) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (78) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (73) $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
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
5
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
6
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
7
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
8
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
9
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
10
Jamoldo's picture
Jamoldo
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...”