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Investment Banking: Valuation, Leveraged Buyouts, and Mergers & Acquisitions
Written by two current Wall Street professionals, Investment Banking: Valuation, Leveraged Buyouts, and Mergers & Acquisitions breaks new ground in explaining how the pros perform valuation, M&A, capital markets analysis and leveraged finance. The book focuses on the primary methodologies used to determine valuation for public and private companies on a standalone basis, as well as within the context of M&A and capital markets transactions, restructurings, and investment decisions.
A Word from the Authors, Joshua Rosenbaum & Joshua Pearl Business Today: Why did the authors in the market was authored by current our book we consulted with top bankof Investment Banking: Valuation, Lev- Wall Street professionals or walked peo- ers, private equity investors, hedge fund eraged Buyouts, and Mergers & Acquisi- ple through the core valuation method- professionals, corporate lawyers, accounologies in a practical, step-by-step guide. tants, and business school professors. tions decide to write this book? Our book broke ground by doing both. Feedback on the book has been incredJoshua Rosenbaum & Joshua Pearl: ible. Investment Banking is currently Even the best business schools, including We wrote Investment Banking because being used by numerous bulge bracket our alma maters (Rosenbaum: Harvard this is the book we wish we had when banks and private equity firms, and over College and Harvard Business School, we were looking for jobs and internships. 50 undergraduate and MBA programs Pearl: Indiana UniversityKelley School It is the ultimate job-seekers guide for have incorporated it into their curricuof Business), do not quite teach the skills those looking to break into Wall Street. lum. We were featured in the Wall Street that are needed on Wall Street. Although There is nothing else on the market that universities and other finance books proJournal and several Wall Street titans teaches the nuts-and-bolts of the pillars vide a foundation, they do not capture have recommended our book, including of corporate finance – valuation, comps, the specific techniques, frameworks, and Joseph R. Perella, David M. Rubenstein, DCF, M&A, LBOs and leveraged fireal-world applications that are needed Thomas H. Lee, and Josh Harris. nance – in such an accessible and effecto fully understand the highly specialtive manner. ized world of investment banking. Since its publication in May 2009, the book has been, and continues to be, the The overwhelming majority of books best-selling valuation book in the world. In our book, we harnessed the ultimate available for students, and even finance blend of theory and practice, and filled professionals, are written by professors and have much more of an academic em- the void that was missing in finance lit- BT: How can students interested in a caphasis. These books are centered on the- erature. The financial techniques and ap- reer in finance best prepare for landing ory, and are far less applicable to how fi- plications in Investment Banking reflect a job in investment banking? How can a nance is actually practiced at investment contributions from both academia and student stand out in such a competitive banks. No valuation book previously Wall Street. Throughout the writing of landscape? 66
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Josh & Josh: We have recruited and con- less you get this training and experience? kets, what kind of future can students ducted interviews on-campus for many By teaching all the key technical valua- expect in investment banking and in the years and have several insights in this tion techniques for investment banking, financial industry in general in the next area. For your resume, it is important to private equity and hedge funds, our book 3-5 years? Will the outlook change in the have certain traditional things in your is the ultimate preparation tool for inter- next 5-10 years? favor – strong grades, leadership expe- views, including a how-to for building Josh & Josh: First off, let us say that rience, and other indicators of achieve- financial models. there is, and always will be, a critical ment and commitment such as sports, need for investment banking, arguably As with the resume, the key differenmusic, running a business, etc. The reeven more so in an increasingly global, tiator for interviews is a mastery of the sume points, however, are often necesfast-moving and complex world. An everfinance techniques used on Wall Street. sary but not sufficient. Assuming all of growing global pool of companies across Interviewers will be very impressed if a the above is in good standing, the best the world need financial intermediaries student without prior investment bankway to truly distinguish yourself from for their M&A, equity and debt financing internship experience knows the other students is to demonstrate relevant ing needs, among other financial prodinner workings and complexities of valfinance working experience, ideally in inucts and transactions. At the same time, uation and modeling, and is able to articvestment banking . ulate them. Technical questions are in- investment banks will have to adapt to This brings us to the ultimate chicken- creasingly commonplace in interviews so new regulations and the ever-changing and-egg conundrum that our book seeks students should be very prepared. Ques- volatile markets. Long term, investment to solve for student job-seekers – namely, tions on valuation, comps, DCF, WACC, banking will probably look different how do you get investment banking or LBOs – all of them are fair game in the than it does today due to new laws and regulatory standards, but it will contincorporate finance experience unless you interviews! ue to be dynamic and present exciting caget a job on Wall Street; and, conversely, how do you get a job on Wall Street un- BT: In such tumultuous financial mar- reer opportunities for aspiring students.
This book will surely become an indispensable guide to the art of buyout and M&A valuation, for the experienced investment practitioner as well as for the non-professional seeking to learn the mysteries of valuation. David M. Rubenstein, Co-Founder and Managing Director, The Carlyle Group
Investment Banking provides a highly practical and relevant guide to the valuation analysis at the core of investment banking, private equity, and corporate finance. Mastery of these essential skills is fundamental for any role in transaction-related finance.This book will become a fixture on every finance professional’s bookshelf. Thomas H. Lee, President, Lee Equity Partners, Founder, Thomas H. Lee Capital Management
As a practitioner of hundreds of M&A and LBO transactions during the last 20 years, I recommend this book to advisors, financiers, practitioners, and anyone seriously interested in investment transactions. Rosenbaum and Pearl have created a comprehensive and thoughtfully written guide covering the core skills of the successful investment professional with particular emphasis on valuation analysis. Josh Harris, Managing Partner, Apollo Management
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