Will M&A always be a good field?

Will M&A always be a good field?

Given that M&A is really a recent phenomena of the late 80's to early 2000's, does the M&A profession have the staying power of law/medicine? Sometimes I feel like it is a faddish skill-set that is not worth devoting one's life in developing. Thoughts?

25 Comments
 
Best Response

I think M&A will always have a role in a developed economy - you're essentially a strategic and valuation consultant. The profession existed before the 1980's, but advances in computing technology made it more standardized and narrowly defined. The biggest corporates will have their own in-house M&A teams (Corp Dev or whatever they want to call them), but most companies can't afford that and it wouldn't be efficient given how infrequently they engage in M&A, thus, M&A advisory firms will always have a role to play. If anything, I think true strategic M&A advisory may have more sticking power than niche/fad investment advisory practices (the boom in PE is really a reaction to ultra cheap debt and the manipulated market force of being able to expense interest on debt pre-tax).

Just my $0.02

 

Yeah makes sense - it just seems at the whim of what CEOs decide to do. I don't see it like law/medicine where one can hang a shingle out and provide some time of service anywhere in the country/world

 

There's a good analysis pointing out that many of the things we consider 'tech' today should actually be classified as some other industry even though the entrepreneurs use tech/innovation to drive their business model. An example would be Tesla should be under the automotive sector.. SolarCity should be under energy, and Internet should be under consumer

There are plenty of changes and I'm sure that whatever coverage area pursued will continue to be 'important'

Refer here: http://www.wallstreetoasis.com/blog/the-aging-of-the-tech-sector-the-pr…

 

If you're talking about just being an M&A guy going forward then yes, I think it's a good field to get into, especially if you can carve out a niche (medical devices M&A guy, etc.) but that goes for anything.

If you're talking about the skills you get in M&A, then again, I think it's a good field to start in or have a stint in. It teaches you valuation, negotiation, how management / PE's think, and how the whole thing comes together. If you want to be in an investing role or an exec, I think these skills are helpful.

 

It will always be a good field. with liquor and cheeseburgers as far as the eye can see, plenty of room to grow weed plants (in trailers or outdoors), and ladies of the night free to roam, there is little reason to leave

I AM THE LIQUOR
 

M&A is only just beginning in the developing world. There are centuries of growth potential there. If M&A is your passion, go for it.

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

Temporibus quo qui culpa similique repellat eligendi. Nesciunt accusamus distinctio cupiditate molestiae velit maiores consequuntur. Magni molestiae expedita totam. Id excepturi natus quas hic.

Neque commodi voluptas magni earum unde eum doloribus. Dolorem vel maxime est fugiat nam vitae ut. Dolore nemo sint voluptas fuga atque et nobis molestiae. Asperiores ipsa maxime sapiente laboriosam expedita voluptas. Voluptates nesciunt aut officiis possimus voluptatibus.

Excepturi voluptates est sed officiis ut aut. Rerum non aut aut non possimus sint aut. Architecto rerum quasi excepturi est.

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

Career Advancement Opportunities

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Guggenheim Partners 02 97.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 97.4%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 98.9%
  • Evercore 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.9%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.4%

Professional Growth Opportunities

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.9%
  • JPMorgan No 97.4%

Total Avg Compensation

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (56) $261
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (28) $184
  • Intern/Summer Associate (16) $161
  • 1st Year Analyst (84) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (76) $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
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
8
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
9
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
10
Linda Abraham's picture
Linda Abraham
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...”