canada

Great if we can gather more intel about compensation increase in Canadian IB teams. This is what I've heard so far (might be wrong so happy to change if we get more accurate info): RBC (Confirmed by 2 WSO Users): Base salaries increased 10-15% firm wide IB Analyst 1 at RBC all-in is around C$160-170k. IB Associate 1 should be around C$270k. CIBC (Confirmed by WSO User) Base salaries increased to: IB Analyst C$95k base IB Associate $135k base BMO (Confirmed by IB individual): 15% pay increase. Seems to be reflected on bonus only. Canaccord (Confirmed by IB individual): IB Analysts' salaries

20 May 2021

Hey everyone! With IB SA and full-time recruitment starting up in Canada over these next couple months, lets get the thread going! This is make or break for some of us and a head start for others!

31 Jul 2019

Hey guys, I go to a Canadian target (Queens/Ivey) and have been recruiting for summer 2022. The year is now half way and I have gotten zero interviews from the Canadian Globals and Banks in the USA. I did BMOS my first two years, not sure if that is relevant. I have: - 3.9 GPA - Worked at boutique private equity first summer - Currently working in Corporate Development at a very well known company I have also networked with multiple firms before applying and had great calls with analysts. I have no idea at all why I am not getting any first round interviews at all. The feedback I keep getting

24 Jun 2021

The USISC today imposed restrictions on individuals working in the U.S. under the NAFTA TN Visa's Economist category. This change disallows people working in Financial Analyst and Market Research Analyst roles from obtaining the TN visa. My question to all those working in investment analysis roles at US hedge funds on TN visas is that does this change impact you, and what is your job description listed as in your TN applications?

19 Dec 2017

Hey WSO, I was stuck in another country this academic year (first year) and all competitions happened at 4am for me, as well as club meetings. I tried to attend a few but my body was getting fucked by waking up in the middle of my sleep and getting less than 6 hours everyday. So I chose to focus on academics and GPA and make sure I don't cause much harm to myself. As a result, I did not get much club exec experience or case comp experience. My GPA and testing scores are near perfect (GPA: 3.9+, ACT: 35, SAT Math subject test 800/800) and I have incoming corp finance work experience at a large

01 Jun 2021

Hey everyone I just have a quick question about PE in Canada. What are the comps like at the big Canadian PE shops (Onex, Birch Hill, etc)? What are the comps like working at a PE arm of a pension fund? Is IBD or PE generally better in terms of long-term careers in Canada? Thanks

17 Apr 2018

I am a 4th year at Ivey in Canada which is a top target here. Most of my friends got great internships in IB at BBs and Big 5, and same with my friends at Queens. Today I was bored and went on LinkedIn and was blown away by some of the internships from Waterloo and mostly the accounting program. Here were some of the profiles I saw and internships I saw: Person 1: Deloitte, RBC IB, BMO IB, Altas PE, Evercore SA and Evercore FT Person 2: PWC, PWC, CIBC IB, BMO IB, Lazard IB, PJT SA and PJT FT Person 3: Deutsche Bank S&T, CPPIB, Qatalyst SA and Qatalyst FT Person 5: PWC, PWC, Goldman Sachs IB

19 Feb 2021

Hi, I'm a U.S. rising senior (Currently 17) and wondering about Canadian IB options. I've got decent options in America (undergrad: UNC/Duke/Brown are all decently likely) & can definitely make it into Queens/Ivey. A good bit of my family/close family friends do or did banking/PE related stuff, so its always been an industry that I've found interesting. I've got family in Canada & have recently begun to think about IB in Canada. Ik that in the U.S. you generally go Analyst 2 yrs->PE 2 yrs ->MBA -> PE/Corp Dev/Whatever you want, but I'm not sure what the "track" is in Canada. Anyways, I wanted

18 Jul 2020

Can anyone give some insight into how CIBC does in Power & Infrastructure versus the other banks? I assume they are quite strong within Canada but how are they perceived in the US / globally? How competitive is the group when it comes to buyside placement into top GPs / LPs?

20 Feb 2021

Wanted to know if anyone had any insight into their reputation on Bay St. I've heard their M&A, Real Estate and Credit Capital Markets (not sure if LevFin or vanilla corp banking) are solid groups. Any info on comp and FT rotational program would also be greatly appreciated.

21 Jan 2021

Hey I am an incoming MBA candidate at Rotman. I have a total of 44 months of work experience. Most recently, I have worked in a reference data firm out of India's office for a little over 2.5 years. Think: Bloomberg, Refinitiv, IHS Markit etc. There was research work involved but the scope was very minute. I have worked in the audit/tax division of a big 4 for an year earlier. My undergrad GPA was 3.5 and I scored 740 in GMAT. I have also cleared CFA Level 2. Post my MBA, I would want to work in a role that pays over 100k per annum but at the same time would not want to work over 45 - 50 hours

30 May 2021

Hi guys, I'm really interested in Debt Capital Markets and Leveraged Finance in Canada and I was wondering if you guys could give any insight about it. How big are the teams for each, comp, exit ops, etc? I assume mostly the Big5 banks have teams in Canada, or do BBs in Canada do too? And lastly, what's recruiting like for these roles out of undergrad? Thanks!

28 Jan 2018

Canada is one of the top oil producing nations in the world, producing around 4.3 million barrels per day according the US Energy Information Administration (EIA). You might assume that with crude oil prices testing their August lows that Canadians are seeing extremely low pump prices for gasoline; however, this is not the case. With WTI prices down over 50% compared to this time last year, many are confused as to why this hasn't led to substantially lower pump prices. Here are 3 reasons Canadians haven't seen lower pump prices. There is an Oversupply of Crude Oil, Not an Oversupply of

24 Nov 2015

Hey everyone, I'm Canadian and just graduated this past spring from a New England prep school (think Andover, Exeter, Deerfield, etc.). I applied and was accepted to a few colleges last year, but I'm currently taking a gap year for various reasons & am planning to reapply to some universities soon. While I didn't really do any business-related ECs in high school, I've read a bit about IBD on WSO forums & am interested in IBD as a possible career (ideally, I'd really like to work in the States in the future). My options are: 1. Go to school in Canada. I was accepted to, though ultimately

17 Jan 2018

Long time lurker here. Why is there such a disproportionate number of Canadians on this site? They seem to fall into three categories 1) Can't decide between Ivey and Queen's and a pissing match ensues 2) Defend Canadian recruiting whenever it comes up 3) Go to a non-target Canadian school (can't think of a worse fate) and dream of making it big at RBC but none of them seem to realize that no one cares about Canada. Can someone make a BayStreetOasis.ca so I don't have to read about some kid in Saskatchewan who wants to make it big...in Calgary.

19 Aug 2011

Same post from the Private Equity section but hoping to get more advice. Does it make sense for me to go from PE to Consulting now? A bit of background on myself: I got a computer science degree in Canada, did a few years of M&A and have been in PE for almost two years now. My PE exposure is very limited on the portfolio management side, but heavily focused on transactions (entry/exit). I'm burnt out with deals and don't see myself having a very focused career in finance, would like to explore operations, strategy, and more leadership roles. What complicates this matter is I'm also planning a

06 Mar 2018

So I've been hearing a lot of stigma against career bankers. Some even saying that a career banker isn't a good choice for a career. In Canada, most bankers will stay in banking as exit opps aren't as plentiful+they pay worse. Big 5/BBs both pay pretty nicely at VP and higher up levels so is there any reason not to become a career banker in Canada?

10 Apr 2018

Looked around on the forums, last relevant topic was from 2010 ######Introduction: I'm a 2nd year student. Commerce Major, Finance Specialization, UBC Sauder. Before entering 3rd year, I'll have had 2 internships at the same Alternative investment company, and 1 internship at a big 5 bank doing S&T on their swaps desk. My grades are pretty average, only have 1 course below 80% but my average is 84%, I have almost 0 extracurriculars because I think they're a huge waste of time outside of social skills gained. I can program fluently in VBA and Javascript. (Not sure if programming in VBA

16 Mar 2020

Hey guys, I'm pretty down right now. Yesterday I received an email that I was not being presented an offer for my dream job as a buy-side equity analyst at a value investing shop. I'm not really sure what I'm hoping to get out this thread other than a place to vent, and maybe some advice on what to do going forward. This rejection comes after 5 initial interviews, a 12 page stock report and Skype presentation and then 3 more interviews in person. I live on the west coast and was flown out to Toronto all expenses paid. I felt all 3 meetings were excellent, and was then notified a few days later

11 Apr 2016

Hi all, I'm looking at going for an MSc in finance to strengthen my application for a career in IB. Long story short, I did my undergrad at UBC in Canada, Applied Mathematics, and found an interest in banking after a time-series research stint during the summer of my third year. I got a little more serious about it after that, met with countless number of industry professionals to gauge whether or not I really wanted to pursue IB. I've missed my chance at internships during my undergrad, but I think a master study will make me eligible again for intern programs and will also back up my

20 Oct 2018

Background: - Currently a senior consultant at a big 4 with a handful of projects under my belt. - Hoping to write CFA level 3 in May, I was planning to write it this summer but it got delayed because of covid. I am acing the mocks consistently now so I am pretty sure I can pass it. - Completed the FMVA - Undergraduate in finance from a non-target - I have a stack of trade thesis I write to trade my personal savings (mostly swing trading in FX and indices) I can show off in interviews and I made decent returns over the years. The analysis is all in macroeconomics. I know this is more hedge

11 Nov 2020

Hi all, I'm a Canadian in IB and I was wondering who else had used BreakingBayStreet for interview prep? For those who don't know, BreakingBayStreet is a Canadian version of Breaking Into Wall Street. I tried it and had a terrible experience and I'd like to hear more stories. For those of you considering using their services, I would highly recommend against it.

05 Dec 2016

For those with experience in power trading within Canada would you mind sharing: 1) What are the top firms to trade power in BC, AB, ON? 2) What are the best hubs to trade at a Canadian firm? What are the major differences in trading the major hubs (that Canadian firms trade)? 3) What do you think will happen to AESO trading opportunities under the proposed capacity market?

16 Apr 2018

Hi Guys, Looking for some insight on how to break into Canadian IB. I am planning to immigrate to Canada and have admissions secured at Queens and Schulich. The main question for me is how important is a two year MBA program for me to break into IB. I understand that the Queens MBA has a better reputation and possibly leads to stronger networks due to small class size, has some interesting opportunities for getting exposure to VC and Hedge Funds through student run funds (added bonus), strong IB recruiting ground but Schulich is in Toronto, allows me to develop a network over two years, allows

01 Aug 2017

Hi everyone, I often see across different platforms that the salary of a research analyst is on average about 50K$CAD. However, many users here, with 0-2 years of experience mentioned that they are earning near 70K in the US. Is it because they are in the US and they have a better salary for that reason? It's a big gap if you consider the exchange rate. Does it have an impact on whether you are on the sell-side or buy-side? How much would a research analyst earn out of undergrad in Canada? I'm from Québec and my goal is to break into equity research analyst out of my BBA (4.15 GPA). I do have

04 Nov 2020

Hey, Monkeys!! In as much as I enjoy reading posts about S&T in other countries, I'm very interested in hearing from my fellow Canada bros. 1. Tell me about your recruiting experiences, Summer experiences, Rotational programs and even shed some light on the compensation structure in Canada. 2. Industry trends and any changes within the Canadian S&T 3. Which trading desks are most the prestigious, hard to disrupt (automate) and provide the highest learning opportunities. Lets go!

08 Sep 2019

Anyone knows if Canadian pension funds recruit FT analysts straight out of undergrad? How hard is it and would you consider it to be better than starting in IB first?

18 Jul 2021

Background; non-target, average transcript, involved within student life, worked in retail banking as CSR for two years then finally landing an internship in Canada's largest pension fund and later landing my dream job as VC Analyst upon graduation and not to mention - female. Never in a million years, would I have thought that I would be dealing with the country's Canada) top venture firms and investors. Never did I thought I would love my job right after graduating a non-target school that people thought would never be able to work within the competitive finance industry. Never did I think I would be able to work with country's best entrepreneurs.

02 Apr 2014

Does anyone know what the recruiting process at PSP Investments is like for Grad Students in Montréal targeting PE groups? Is it very important to intern at PSP to get hired at the Analyst Level? P.S- I will be attending a school where PSP Investments recruits from regularly. Thank you.

15 Jul 2021

Hi guys, What are some good jobs to do for my sophomore summer? I know that PWM internships are the go-to ones, but I live in a non-major Canadian city so they aren't easily available. So what type of jobs would you guys recommend? Retail? Sales? Administrative? Or should I do something different all-together? Thanks!

10 May 2017

Well I was on WSO and found high school students looking for summer internships... I was literally shocked since I am a high school senior myself... Am I suppose to look for an intern now?? And what is the normal route to IB?? What kind of intern do you do in your freshman and sophomore?

12 May 2011

In years past there's been dedicated threads to everyones progress through the SA S&T cycle in Canada. Since I haven't seen anything I figured I'd make a thread and people can chip in their status, things interviewers told them regarding deadlines, etc. Canadian banks with S&T: CIBC (applied, interview on 12th of January) RBC (applied, interview on 12th of January) Scotiabank (applied, interview on 9th of January) National Bank (applied, interview on 12th of January) TD (didn't apply as fudged deadline, unfortunately) Bank of Montreal (didn't apply) OTHERS (management consulting): Accenture (first round Thursday the 15th) Bain and Co (was told by friend invites are going out, not sure for what area/job)

11 Jan 2015

Check it out: The Best Countries For Business

Canada ranks No. 1 in our annual look at the Best Countries for Business. While the U.S. is paralyzed by fears of a double-dip recession and Europe struggles with sovereign debt issues, Canada's economy has held up better than most. The $1.6 trillion economy is the ninth biggest in the world and grew 3.1% last year. It is expected to expand 2.4% in 2011, according to the Royal Bank of Canada.

07 Oct 2011

I'm currently averaging an 83.3 at Queen's Commerce. If I apply to a bschool for my MBA in the US, what would my grades convert to on a GPA scale for any of the top schools like Harvard, Wharton, Columbia ect? All my grades are above 80 except for one and next to my transcript all of them say "A" and my one 77 grade says "B." I have heard that Canadian grades are curved up to American grades during the admissions process, is that true? What is a 4.0 GPA on a Canadian Grading Scale? Below are some tables I was able to find while searching the web. I hope you find these useful. **Alberta to U.S

11 Jan 2013

I'm heading into my third year of post-secondary at a target business-school (undergrad), and wasn't too sure when recruiting starts

14 Jun 2021

BComm graduated in 2014; currently working (for about a year now) in private debt of a lifeco based in Toronto Canada. I'm looking to move to Seattle for relationship reasons..but have no network whatsoever in Seattle. My firm's US operation is in Boston so it's not an option. I'm a Canadian citizen. Anyone has any idea as to how difficult/realistic that I could get something there? Or advice on how I could start looking?

30 Apr 2015

I am curious does it matter what undergrad i went to if I get into a prestigious target school? I am from canada, and I go to a non target school 3.8 gpa and was wondering if i get into lets say University of Toronto's MFE or Queens Mfin will it really matter what i did in my undergrad?

11 Feb 2013

Does anyone have any info on BMO trading desks? Are they known for anything besides CAD fx? Are they regarded well on the street at all? Thanks guys, I really appreciate it.

09 Jan 2011

I'm a senior in high school thinking about where I should go for College. I'm originally from Toronto but moved to Detroit in middle school. Right now, I'm trying to decide whether or not I should go to school in Canada. I'm hoping on getting in to the University of Michigan and going to Ross but in case I don't get in, I would like to go to the University of Toronto. I wanted to know if American consulting firms actually recruit people from the University of Toronto. Also, how is the consulting scene in Canada? How does salary, competitiveness, and lifestyle differ? Thank you.

28 Nov 2012

University of Toronto - Rotman School of Commerce. How is it for an undergrad major? From forums, it seems Queen's > UoFT, yet whenever I speak to anyone in a bank, they all say they would choose UoFT over Queen's any day.

28 Apr 2010

hi everyone, i got my BA in Finance in Manchester, UK and i was just wondering if anyone could suggest some target programs/schools like an MBA or a M.A in Financial Economics. i know the usual five are Ivey, Schulich, Rotman, McGill and Queen but i was wondering if anyone had any advice on what program would be best to try and break into IB in Canada after graduation. internships, analyst/associate roles, etc. I went for an interview with Vlaad & Co. last week and the person i spoke with suggested MFE at UofT. all your input is much appreciated.

28 Feb 2012

What does it take to get into a top school like HBS, Wharton, Stanford for an MBA from Canada? What credentials do you need as an undergraduate student? I'm trying to be realistic, and I know that from Canada, WS will be hard to break into. That's why I'm focusing more on building my credentials so I'll be a competitive applicant for the above mentioned schools. However, with that being said I'm obviously going to give WS a shot from the undergraduate level and I don't know what school to choose. I'm getting mixed opinions between McGill and Ivey. Some say no one knows Western in the U.S., and McGill will give you an edge if you want to work in the US, some are saying Ivey is much better and is way more recognized in the street?

23 May 2011

It had been a hell of a day to travel anywhere in the Northeast. Winter storm Nemo had just dumped 2 and a half feet of snow in the greater Boston area, and only a little less in New York. I had been planning to visit Toronto for a while to attend a WSO Happy Hour and see the sights, and the weekend of Feburary 9th also happened to be Chinese New Year. Two things to celebrate in one weekend. It almost didn't happen. Although my connecting flight from Montreal to Toronto went ahead, I ended up sitting on the tarmac for almost 3 hours while the airport people flailed around helplessly trying to figure out what to do about the blizzard…in Toronto, Canada, of all places. I spent more time on the ground than in the air!

12 Feb 2013

Hello, I understand that this topic has been discussed repeatedly, but I would like advise partaining to my specific situation. After being on this forum for a couple years, I have read every single article about universities in Canada, which is why I applied to both schools in the first place. I have also been to QLEAD twice, and experienced the Queen's atmosphere and facilities. My visit to the UWO / Ivey open house did not measure up to how I felt at Queen's. The Ivey building was pretty mediocre, even though the new one will be finished my my HBA1 year.

16 Apr 2011

Just a bit of Canadian Propaganda for you jive A-MUR-EE-CAN turkies http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business…

05 Mar 2012

Graduating from a non-target in the US this summer or next fall, finance major, no relevant experience, got interested in the industry only recently and after asking some WSO users for advice thought I'd apply to MsF programs as a plan B if I don't land any internship this summer. I'm not a US citizen and would want to work in Canada after graduation because I'm interested in the natural resources sector (interested in gas & oil market, family has ties to solar energy and mining) as well as the immigration process is much easier (family has business relations and friends in Canada too, none in the US).

24 Nov 2013

Any timelines from any of the big banks or the strong boutiques like GMP or CanGen?

17 Jul 2015

Hey WSO, So I think I've gained a little insight which undergrad program I will be choosing and it's looking like it will come down to Western Financial Modelling (Ivey HBA AEO) vs. Waterloo/Laurier Math Double Degree. I've compile a couple main factors; the main one being the career/job aspects. Obviously and HBA with financial modelling would be aggressive for IBD but it seems UW has way better S&T opportunities. Also 5 work terms (UW) > 2 work terms (Ivey). Waterloo seems to be really good for insurance/risk kind of finance but I don't really think I'm in for that kind of stuff. If can be top of my class in DD, will there be IBD offers? Don't the big5 Canadian banks love DDs?

17 Apr 2011

I go to a Canadian University, UBC. One of the big 3 universities in Canada along with McGill and UToronto. 4.0 GPA, economics degree, probably a minor in business. I want to have the air cleared on a few things: 1) Breaking into finance: the idea of not getting a graduate degree is so strange to me, and I feel wary about getting a job straight out of undergrad in business. With an Econ degree and being from Canada, will I even have the option of getting job offers at US IB firms?

19 Jan 2011

Hey everybody I was researching for good hedge funds to work for in Toronto and I came across a post where several were mentioned. Does anybody know how well "Gluskin Sheff + Associates" fairs? I have read a lot on the BB banks in TO but seldom come across any HF information. Any other great hedge funds to intern at in toronto would be appreciated. Thanks!

18 Aug 2010