No-Name Quality Investment Banks

There is a lot on this website about the boutiques you should not work for, and we all know about the elite boutiques that provide useful experience (Lazard, Evercore, Greenhill) but are there any small, no-name investment banks that provide valuable internship experience? Specifically, did anyone have a good sophomore investment banking experience? I am specifically wondering of banks in NYC, but any feedback is helpful.

33 Comments
 

Not no name, but good boutiques. Not sure there's such a thing as No-name, Quality IBs. You'd get a name if you were turning out good work and landing deals I assume.

 

PJSC is well-regarded in the consumer/retail space and FT Partners does solid (if not spectacular) work in FinTech out west. Just because your average Joe hasn’t heard the names doesn’t make them “no-name” banks

 

I've heard Pierce & Pierce is pretty solid, some questionable behavior from VP's though.

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I honestly don't know why no one knows who they are. They do good shit.

"one for the money two for the better green 3 4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine" - M.F. Doom
 

I think you should instead focus on identifying banks that accept sophomores/juniors as interns during the fall and spring semesters and see where those interns ended up. Some 'no-name' boutiques might actually providing decent experience and server as feeders to decent summer IBD programs.

Case in point: There is a local boutique in Austin, TX (Cappello Group) that undergraduate UT b-school kids intern at during the school year. If you look at the Linkedin profiles of students who interned there, you'll notice that most of them end up at BB summer IBD programs their Junior year.

Disclaimer for the Kids: Any forward-looking statements are solely for informational purposes and cannot be taken as investment advice. Consult your moms before deciding where to invest.
 

Commercial banks tend to have decent securities arms, albeit generally more capital markets centric. I’ve seen postings from the usual suspects e.g. super regionals like US Bank, PNC, BB&T, Capital One, Citizens Financial and Regions. However, I’ve also seen First Tennessee (FTN Financial), Key Bank, Fifth Third, Webster, People’s United (both for loan syndication), M&T, Hancock and Whitney Bank and others. Generally these shops are overlooked but usually pay decently and offer work life balance that is among the best in industry. It’s important to note that actual M&A/Advisory capability varies tremendously from non-existent to highly creditable within the MM space.

 

I'm going to a do a write up later but definitely agree. I think one bank people don't look at enough is Keybanc. They are pretty much right under the upper MM firms, good deal flow with the occasional 1B+ deal every year. Almost every analyst exited to PE if they wanted to.

 

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