Role Analysis
Quick Tips to prepare for Investment Banking
Likely Companies where this role exists:
HDFC
Standard Chartered
Citi Bank
Kotak
Morgan Stanley
JP Morgan
Deutsche Bank
HSBC
DBS
Goldman Sachs
Bank of America
Merrill Lynch
Barclays
ICICI Bank
Axis Bank
Edelweiss
Financial Services Companies:
Kotak Mahindra Capital
Motilal Oswal
Blackstone
Zerodha
Likely roles offered by these companies:
Investment Banking Analyst
Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) Analyst:
Equity Research Analyst
Capital Markets Analyst
Risk Analyst
Compliance Officer
Questions about industry/sector:
These questions are important to prepare as a business graduate. Recruiters expect you to have holistic view of the
problem/role.
Market Trends:
Impact of Covid-19
Recent M&A Trends
Valuations Post-Pandemic
Industry and Stock Market Performance
Government and Regulatory Landscape:
Government Support During the Pandemic
RBI Norms and Industry Response
Impact on Various Sectors
Evolution of Lending
Understanding Bad Banks
RBI's OTR Norms
ECLGS and its Second Window
Investment Opportunities:
Growth Sectors in India
Competitive Landscape and Value Addition
This document has been created to provide you some guidance for quick preparation. The questions listed here are not exhaustive by any means and are not
unique/ specific to the mentioned companies. Also, companies are also indicative (not at all exhaustive) – they are used to provide you with better context for
preparation. Use your own judgment to prepare exhaustively. Do not circulate further – we have worked very hard to create this!
Role Analysis
Challenges in Capital Markets and M&A
Untapped Investment Opportunities
Assessing Scalability and Sustainability
Factors for Foreign Investors
ESG Trends in Indian Industry
Views on the latest IPO’s
Questions about Role/Profile (Technical or Functional Questions):
These are direct role-based questions which one should be thoroughly prepared on:
Valuation Methodologies:
Various methodologies to value a company
Advantages of DCF analysis vs. comparables
Football field metric for a firm
When and why to use price to book value
Valuing a company using DCF, comparables, and precedent transactions
Market and Industry Analysis:
Impact of cost of equity fluctuations
EV/EBITDA as a preferred valuation metric
Identifying risks in a potential trade
Recent leverage finance trade in India
Sequential risk identification and mitigation
Financial Modeling and Debt Structuring:
Cash Flow Modeling
Structuring debt inflow and repayment
Provisioning for a loan
Components of debt capital structure
Key considerations in credit appraisal
Weighted Average Cost of Capital (WACC)
M&A Transactions:
Steps involved in a typical M&A transaction
Adjustments made during M&A transactions
Accretion/dilution analysis in M&A
IPO underwriting process
Financial Statements and Ratios:
Components of financial statements
Analyzing financial statements for performance evaluation
Differences between enterprise value and equity value
Debt Capital and Credit Analysis:
Originating and generating revenue from DCM
Leveraged buyout (LBO) transaction stages
Assessing creditworthiness for debt issuance or credit rating
Case/Situation Based Questions:
• You have a manufacturing firm, the firm generates X cash flows and Y cost. The working capital cycle is 3-4 months.
How will you assess the company and structure the debt for such a firm. Assume timeline of collection and payment to
suppliers/ vendors
• Assume metrics for Zomato or Paytm. How will you value on a growth trajectory with no prior track record in Indian
context? What are key parameters you will focus on considering you are on – Buy Side/Sell Side
This document has been created to provide you some guidance for quick preparation. The questions listed here are not exhaustive by any means and are not
unique/ specific to the mentioned companies. Also, companies are also indicative (not at all exhaustive) – they are used to provide you with better context for
preparation. Use your own judgment to prepare exhaustively. Do not circulate further – we have worked very hard to create this!
Role Analysis
• How will you identify risks in a corporate lending trade? List out parameters of logical thinking and how can you
mitigate the following:
o Collection risk (If any)
o Supplier risk
o Sector risk
o Competition risk
o Market risk
o Security / collateral liquidation risk / Marketability risk of a collateral
o Debt structuring /sizing
o Management risk
o Sales risk
Things to highlight from CV/Profile
This helps make your CV more relevant to the role, helping with shortlists
• Show a finance bent clearly and demonstrate logical ways of thinking. Highlight finance leaving very clearly. DO not use
the word finance to prove it but showcase it smartly in a subtle way
• DO NOT focus on sales /core marketing projects. Show selling ability and ability to communicate as IB and corporate
banking is sales and ability to structure deals.
• Showcase ability to talk to senior stakeholders and ability to present point logically and in a sequential manner.
• Talk sensibly and do not use words casually such as sector/ industry. Each highlight point in description should be logical
and very concisely explained
• Focus on logical reasoning part of CV
• Present points while presenting anything in bullet points and show how to arrive at the end objective. You may be
wrong in points but showcase logical reasoning and ability to have a reasonable bent of mind.
This document has been created to provide you some guidance for quick preparation. The questions listed here are not exhaustive by any means and are not
unique/ specific to the mentioned companies. Also, companies are also indicative (not at all exhaustive) – they are used to provide you with better context for
preparation. Use your own judgment to prepare exhaustively. Do not circulate further – we have worked very hard to create this!
