Vancouver Investment Banking?
What's the investment banking outlook on Vancouver? Heard from some that it flat out sucks and heard from others that it's just a different pace, whatever tf that means.
Any info on hours? Comp? Recruitment? Exits? Heard theres some MM PE/HF but not really sure
Big 5 banks + NBF all have offices and I think Canaccord's HQ is still in Vancouver. Not all big 5 are created equal and IIRC RBC and BMO were stronger than the rest with Scotia and TD being particularly weak. Each bank will hire maybe 1 Analyst a year, typically from UBC and maybe SFU.
Very little dealflow vs. bigger Canadian markets like Toronto and Calgary. Comp is also lower so I think the only good reason to work there is if you really wanted to stay in Vancouver.
Avoid boutiques like the plague, they're garbage and you wont learn anything. Like someone else here said, packed with shysters who were pushing junior mining companies a couple years back and now pushing weed stocks. As an Analyst you wont build any sort of skill-set that you would need to be credible.
In terms of PE/HF, assume by MM you mean Micro Market as pretty much all buyside is minuscule and in no way comparable to the industry in the US: way less sophisticated, tiny AUM and pay sucks.
Note: I went to UBC but I've been out of Vancouver for a solid decade and all my friends who stayed have gradually left so maybe my intel is a bit stale.