BAML M&A Reputation

I was wondering what the reputation of BAML's NYC M&A team is? I know the group has gotten stronger recently but how do the exit opps, hours, modeling experience, etc. compare to others specifically JPM, CS, Greenhill, and HLHZ

 
Best Response

They are a top 3 M&A group in terms of deal flow. The exits are great, the hours suck, the modeling experience is as good as any other top bank with tons of headline deal flow. It's an analogous experience to JPM/MS - GS is different because most of their M&A modeling is done in coverage groups. CS is a shadow of what BAML is, and it's not quite fair to compare boutiques like Greenhill to a huge BB like BAML. For what it's worth, Greenhill is on the decline though. The elite boutiques are very much Lazard, Centerview, Evercore, with Moelis & PJT on the rise.

 

womanonthastreet

I heard through the grapevine, that Greenhill hired too many senior bankers and their analyst are being grinded on pitches and can't win a mandate. Currently, WFH because the aren't able to pay their rent due to expensive senior salaries. Not sure if all of that information is true, but heard from someone who tends to have the inside scoop across the street.

Not paying out bonuses and firing employees left and right

 

doesn't mean shit. You asked about reputation, and their reputation sucks. End of story. If your friend is working for B of A, tell him to work in DCM or Lev Fin or something where debt capabilities are utilized - they are rarely engaged for pure advisory stuff, most of B of A's M&A is a result of someone coming to borrow money and then doing a "one-stop-shop" kind of thing. Why in the world do people on this board think there is ANY correlation b/w league tables and reputation? There isn't.

 
pitchmonkey:
Why in the world do people on this board think there is ANY correlation b/w league tables and reputation? There isn't.

There is NO correlation at all between the league tables and reputation? So one can draw no conclusions between the banks listed in the top 5 and the bottom 5 of those league tables?

Obviously there is a correlation. The banks that are at the top will have the best reputations, and if they don't have the best reputation today, soon they will.

 

Ok these people are all stuck up, please take their advice with a grain of salt. The fact of the matter is that BofA is the 3rd most profitable company in the world and the 12th largest in terms of revenues for 2006. Of course if you want to get into KKR, Carlyle, ect. it may be tougher but that does not mean you can't do it or won't be getting an incredible experience. People on this board need to lighten up and realize that just being offered a job within banking is incredible, let alone with one of the largest and most profitable companies in the world! Plus, BofA has some great groups like HC, Global Industries, Retail, Lev Fin, and DCM. Congratulate your friend on his or her great accomplishment.

People who are extremely materialistic will only get so far...

 
southpawbanker:
Ok these people are all stuck up, please take their advice with a grain of salt. The fact of the matter is that BofA is the 3rd most profitable company in the world and the 12th largest in terms of revenues for 2006. Of course if you want to get into KKR, Carlyle, ect. it may be tougher but that does not mean you can't do it or won't be getting an incredible experience. People on this board need to lighten up and realize that just being offered a job within banking is incredible, let alone with one of the largest and most profitable companies in the world! Plus, BofA has some great groups like HC, Global Industries, Retail, Lev Fin, and DCM. Congratulate your friend on his or her great accomplishment.

People who are extremely materialistic will only get so far...

Ok, I'm really getting tired of people starting crap about how "stuck up" people on the boards are. You do realize this is a forum for people interested in investment banking, right?

 

was that league tables are easy to manipulate. Ask Wachovia what their M&A rank is, and they'll say something like #4 or #5. And they won't be "lying" they'll just be massaging the data to get them as high in the tables as possible. Also, some league tables give full deal value to each participant whether the bank was lead, joint or co-manager. If a bank is 6th co-manager on some huge deals, and gets full credit, that wildly skews the tables. That's why league tables do not equal prestige.

 
pitchmonkey:
was that league tables are easy to manipulate. Ask Wachovia what their M&A rank is, and they'll say something like #4 or #5. And they won't be "lying" they'll just be massaging the data to get them as high in the tables as possible. Also, some league tables give full deal value to each participant whether the bank was lead, joint or co-manager. If a bank is 6th co-manager on some huge deals, and gets full credit, that wildly skews the tables. That's why league tables do not equal prestige.

beat me to it. VP from UBS LA was talking to me about how they are not at the top in league tables. would you still want to work for them (this is before news came out that Moelis is leaving)? yea you would.

 

lol - have to agree. spoken like someone who is definitely not at boa. on the upside though, as they are crap, they do need to attract decent people somehow, and they have (fortunately for those people), chosen to pay top dollar. They beat the tables in europe on comp. downside is that you cant have your cake and eat it, so options for a move further down the line are more limited than at a more decent house.

"Living the dream 24/7 on http://theallnighter.blogspot.com"

____________________________________________________________ "LIVING THE DREAM 24/7 ON http://THEALLNIGHTER.BLOGSPOT.COM" ____________________________________________________________
 

read this on deal journal today:

B of A has been ranked 2nd in the U.S. Lead Syndicated Leveraged Loan League Tables for the last 4 years behind only J.P. Morgan. HCA, Equity Office Properties, Univision, etc. They’re up there with JPM, DB, and CS. etc. Leveraged finance is actually one of the few strong areas at BofA. but there's also their prime brokerage, FX, won IFR Mag CDO House of year, etc. It's not GS, but its investment bank is only 10 yrs in the making

 

Let's say they do succeed and become a "decent" firm in Europe. Wouldn't it be great on the resume/CV to say you've been part of a growing shop (even though you may not have had an instrumental part in growing the firm)?

 
mea04tdt:
Let's say they do succeed and become a "decent" firm in Europe. Wouldn't it be great on the resume/CV to say you've been part of a growing shop (even though you may not have had an instrumental part in growing the firm)?

No, it wont make much difference from a CV perspective in the sense that ppl think you contributed to growth or something. Now, maybe there is more opportunity at a growing shop, I don't know.

 

Quasi veniam consequatur perspiciatis accusantium error. Corporis pariatur debitis odio eius et quis rerum. Molestiae ut deleniti quibusdam sunt illo quia dignissimos.

 

Ad ab dolores reprehenderit eius. Deserunt deleniti laborum velit molestiae. Minus et corporis ad voluptas cumque libero provident.

Porro nihil excepturi at dolore. Sit quibusdam velit magni cumque et velit ratione.

Vel itaque id porro nostrum doloribus. Laborum aut qui error libero quas ipsum architecto.

Illum ipsa nostrum quo dolor mollitia est. Tempore consectetur nam consequatur et velit cupiditate. Magnam impedit quod qui id aut corporis autem neque.

Career Advancement Opportunities

March 2024 Investment Banking

  • Jefferies & Company 02 99.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 19 98.8%
  • Harris Williams & Co. (++) 98.3%
  • Lazard Freres 02 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 03 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

March 2024 Investment Banking

  • Harris Williams & Co. 18 99.4%
  • JPMorgan Chase 10 98.8%
  • Lazard Freres 05 98.3%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.7%
  • William Blair 03 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

March 2024 Investment Banking

  • Lazard Freres 01 99.4%
  • Jefferies & Company 02 98.8%
  • Goldman Sachs 17 98.3%
  • Moelis & Company 07 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 05 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

March 2024 Investment Banking

  • Director/MD (5) $648
  • Vice President (19) $385
  • Associates (86) $261
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (13) $181
  • Intern/Summer Associate (33) $170
  • 2nd Year Analyst (66) $168
  • 1st Year Analyst (202) $159
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (144) $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

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...”