Investment Banker Question:

Investment banking is the business of raising capital for companies and providing advising services on financing and merger activities. Thus, for example, a company will approach an investment bank when it needs to raise capital or when it needs advice in negotiating and structuring an acquisition of another company. Here are examples of some of the different functions a banker will perform, as well as some other important basics to know about the job:

► Underwriting: an arrangement whereby investment bankers raise investment capital from investors on behalf of corporations and governments who issue public securities ("public offering"). These securities can come in the form of equity (IPO, secondary equity issuance) or debt (high-grade debt, high yield bonds, government securities, etc). Investment banks make money by securing underwriting fees (% of the capital raised) from the public offerings.

► Financial Restructuring: provide advisory services including recommending the sale of assets (corporate divestitures), potential bolt-on acquisitions and merger opportunities, or even working with M&A bankers to sell the company entirely.

► Investment Banking Job Hierarchy: Analysts → Associates → Vice Presidents (VPs) → Directors → Managing Directors (MDs)

► General Pitch Book: Created by the bankers and used to guide introductions and presentations during a sales pitch. Pitch Books contain general information and include a wide variety of selling points, such as an overview of the investment bank, including details of its specific capabilities in research, corporate finance, and sales & trading, and usually provides updates on industry/market and recommendations on the optimal capital structure strategy for the company.

► Deal-Specific Pitch Book: Highly customized depending on the situation; includes valuations, comparable company analyses, and industry analyses, as well as the bank's reputation, prominence and acumen of its research analysts, performance on past/similar work, and information on rankings/expertise.