Investment Banker

Business, Legal & Accounting Glossary

Definition: Investment Banker


Investment Banker

Quick Summary of Investment Banker


An individual or institution which acts as an underwriter or agent for corporations and municipalities issuing securities.

Most also maintain broker/dealer operations, maintain markets for previously issued securities, and offer advisory services to investors. investment banks also have a large role in facilitating mergers and acquisitions, private equity placements, and corporate restructuring. Unlike traditional banks, investment banks do not accept deposits from and provide loans to individuals. also called investment banker.




Full Definition of Investment Banker


Investment bankers are typically employed by financial institutions and are largely responsible for generating cash for firms, governments, and other entities.

Goldman Sachs (GS), Morgan Stanley (MS), JPMorgan Chase (JPM), Bank of America Merrill Lynch (BAC), and Deutsche Bank (DB) are all examples of investment banker employers.

  • An investment banker is employed by a financial institution and is largely responsible for raising funds for firms, governments, or other entities.
  • The investment banking industry is attractive because it pays handsomely.
  • Investment bankers must have great verbal and writing communication skills, as well as the ability to work long and demanding hours.

Investment bankers are responsible for facilitating huge, complex financial deals. These transactions may include arranging for a client’s acquisition, merger, or sale. Another duty of investment bankers is to issue securities in order to raise capital. This entails preparing thorough documentation for the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that is required for a firm to go public.

By recognising the risks connected with a specific project before a firm moves forward, an investment banker can save a client time and money. In theory, an investment banker is an expert in his sector or industry who keeps a pulse on the current investing climate. Businesses and charity organisations frequently seek guidance from investment bankers on how to best plan their growth.

An investment banker can also help with financial instrument pricing and managing regulatory constraints. When a company performs its initial public offering (IPO), an investment bank will act as an intermediary and buy all or a portion of the firm’s shares directly. In this situation, the investment bank will sell the business’s shares into the public market on behalf of the company going public, producing rapid liquidity.

In this case, an investment bank stands to earn by pricing its shares at a premium. In doing so, the investment bank assumes a significant level of risk. While competent analysts at the investment bank utilise their skills to appropriately price the stock, an investment banker can lose money on the deal if the shares are overvalued.

An Example of Investment Banking and an Initial Public Offering (IPO)

Assume Pete’s Paints Co., a business that sells paint and other goods, wants to go public. Pete, the owner, contacts Katherine, a well-known investment banker. Pete and Katherine reach an agreement in which Katherine (on behalf of her firm) pledges to purchase 100,000 shares of Pete’s Paints for the company’s IPO at a price of $24 per share, based on the recommendations of her analyst team. For the 100,000 shares, the investment bank pays $2.4 million.

Katherine and her team begin selling stock on the open market at $26 per share after filing the necessary documentation, such as SEC Form S-1, and setting the IPO date and time. However, due to little demand, the investment bank is unable to sell more than 20% of the shares at this price and is obliged to decrease the price to $23 in order to sell the remaining holdings. This finally results in a defeat for Katherine and her crew.

Required Skills for Investment Bankers

Because investment bankers are often well-compensated, the field of investment banking is popular. These roles, however, necessitate specific capabilities, such as good number-crunching abilities, strong verbal and writing communication skills, and the ability to work long and arduous hours.

Because of the sensitive nature of the information they receive, investment bankers must follow their firm’s code of conduct and often sign a confidentiality agreement. Furthermore, there is the possibility of a conflict of interest if investment banks’ advice and trading departments overlap.

In investment banking, roles are often assigned in the following order: analyst, associate, vice president, senior vice president, and managing director (from junior to senior).


Examples of Investment Banker in a sentence


The investment banker had made his recommendation on the choice of securities that would match the desires of the company.

As Nathan listened intently, the investment banker carefully explained the risks and benefits of investing in the stock of an edible handbag company.

They decided to hire JP Morgan as the Investment Banker on their securities. They needed someone with the expertise and market sense to make it work.


Related Phrases


subprime market
initial public offering spinning
I-banker
squawk box
selling group
flotation costs
Gordon Gekko
mezzanine bracket
niche player
Investment Bankers Association


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Definition Sources


Definitions for Investment Banker are sourced/syndicated and enhanced from:

  • A Dictionary of Economics (Oxford Quick Reference)
  • Oxford Dictionary Of Accounting
  • Oxford Dictionary Of Business & Management

This glossary post was last updated: 11th August, 2022 | 0 Views.