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Investment Banking For Dummies
"Investment Banking For Dummies" tracks to typical university courses on the subject and helps business students understand the fundamentals of investment banking. Topics include: Strategies for risk management, such as market, credit, operating, reputation, legal, and funding riskKey investment banking operations including: venture capital and buyouts, Merger & Acquisitions services, equity underwriting, debt, underwriting securitization, financial engineering, investment management, and securities servicesThe latest information on competition and government regulationsRelationships between leveraged buyout (LBO) funds, hedge funds, and corporate and institutional clients
384 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2014
175 people are currently reading
495 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
January 8, 2016
Great beginner read for aspiring Investment Bankers
Easy and great read for aspiring Investment Bankers, and even those who are just interested in learning about more about the financial industry, specifically IB. Very straightforward and easy to comprehend before moving to more advanced stuff.
Easy and great read for aspiring Investment Bankers, and even those who are just interested in learning about more about the financial industry, specifically IB. Very straightforward and easy to comprehend before moving to more advanced stuff.
March 16, 2023
Great high level overview of IB for beginners
November 29, 2020
This book provided a very nice overview on the financial markets and investment. Although I do have prior knowledge on these subjects, it still enriched me.
I would say that the concepts elaborated in this book are suitable for beginners to intermediate level of knowledge.
I would say that the concepts elaborated in this book are suitable for beginners to intermediate level of knowledge.
August 8, 2021
"Don't invest in what you don't understand."
June 21, 2025
this book was written in conversational english and guess what - that's the same language as the world of investment banking. glad i tapped in. i definitely have the brain cells and work ethic for IB even though i wasn't a prick with directive parents entering Michigan as a freshman. maybe there's a spot for me. (i went to LSA not Ross so my resume's probably toast). DCF LBO EV / EBITA. maximize shareholder value! the cost of debt is cheaper than the cost of equity. income statement, balance sheet, statement of cash flows.
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May 18, 2024Good foundational overview of investment banking
Easy to read, not too technical in explaining such that readers who are not financial analysts can understand. Good to understand how investment banks are regulated and why.
Easy to read, not too technical in explaining such that readers who are not financial analysts can understand. Good to understand how investment banks are regulated and why.
December 3, 2025
Really solid. A great introduction overall into the world of investment banking without being too math heavy. Kept me engaged and is definitely a book I’ll refer back to in the future. Quite a bit of unnecessary fluff but easy to skip over it.
May 30, 2017
Nice refresher
February 15, 2020
Great introduction with lots of teachings on the practical aspects of finance and investment banking.
August 29, 2025
Good primer on IB
The book covers many areas of IB with an easy to understand form. Not necessarily a training book and I suggest using complementary reading.
The book covers many areas of IB with an easy to understand form. Not necessarily a training book and I suggest using complementary reading.
June 12, 2024
Not only this book is for dummies but this is also for beginner to advanced-level investment bankers. Touching from minute details of investment banking to fully describing complex details such as discounted cash flow, this book is a must for anyone who wants to get a hand on Investment Banking or even wants to run his or her own company soon.
M&A deals, leveraged buyouts, IPOs, Bonds, etc are just some well-known topics we might have heard from people or read in financial magazines and newspapers. However, this book goes digging each topic in its askance ways and shows readers that there are more than buy and sell of a company than we have previously known. Prospectus, analysis, financial ratios, proxy statements, financial statements, balance sheets, 10K, 10Q, 8K, equity, liabilities, bonds, shares, outstanding shares, ESOPs, CEOs' salaries and their incentives in doing deals, both 3 and 5 Dupont analysis, assets, cash flow, free cash flow, ratings, companies, synergies, common sizing, p/e ratio, etc. I can go on and on; In fact, I pride myself on getting to know about these terminologies used in investment banking. How much they matter and how to make sense of them are two aspects heavily dealt in this book. Matthew could not have done better job in explaining each term used in IB. For instance, when he explained P/E ratio he stated how much is the market share price of a company when it earns $1, and when he explained common sizing of balance sheets and financial statements. Where common sizing the balance sheet, investment bankers divide all the assets and liabilities by the total assets. Where common sizing the income statement, you’re putting all the company’s expenses into perspective by comparing them to the company’s revenue.
I just wish there were some notes and highlights easily accessible and some of the real examples should be put into one chapter to make use of them in one go. However, Matthew did amazing work by slicing each topic into sub-topics and each sub-topic into mini-topic with links associated with each topic, sub-topic, and mini-topic. Obviously, link is only useful when you are reading from Kindle or Online ( PDF, WPS, etc ). In my case, Kindle helped me a lot. I suggest everyone to use online devices to jump from one topic to other easily and to memorize what you have just read easily. However I missed on icons used by the book such as tip, remember, danger, and technical stuff on details that associated themselves with these icons. Since I used converted pdf file on Kindle( I would not recommend anyone to do so ). Just buy a Kindle version that would not tamper with the book style. I am planning to re-read this book soon with the Kindle version not only to get deep understanding of each topic but also to use the Kindle version for later in my professional career.
Aspire to be an investment banker someday, if not for life long then for some years!!! Want to execute those millions and billions of dollar deals by doing analysis not only on spreadsheets but also on people. Happy Reading & Keep Aspiring.
M&A deals, leveraged buyouts, IPOs, Bonds, etc are just some well-known topics we might have heard from people or read in financial magazines and newspapers. However, this book goes digging each topic in its askance ways and shows readers that there are more than buy and sell of a company than we have previously known. Prospectus, analysis, financial ratios, proxy statements, financial statements, balance sheets, 10K, 10Q, 8K, equity, liabilities, bonds, shares, outstanding shares, ESOPs, CEOs' salaries and their incentives in doing deals, both 3 and 5 Dupont analysis, assets, cash flow, free cash flow, ratings, companies, synergies, common sizing, p/e ratio, etc. I can go on and on; In fact, I pride myself on getting to know about these terminologies used in investment banking. How much they matter and how to make sense of them are two aspects heavily dealt in this book. Matthew could not have done better job in explaining each term used in IB. For instance, when he explained P/E ratio he stated how much is the market share price of a company when it earns $1, and when he explained common sizing of balance sheets and financial statements. Where common sizing the balance sheet, investment bankers divide all the assets and liabilities by the total assets. Where common sizing the income statement, you’re putting all the company’s expenses into perspective by comparing them to the company’s revenue.
I just wish there were some notes and highlights easily accessible and some of the real examples should be put into one chapter to make use of them in one go. However, Matthew did amazing work by slicing each topic into sub-topics and each sub-topic into mini-topic with links associated with each topic, sub-topic, and mini-topic. Obviously, link is only useful when you are reading from Kindle or Online ( PDF, WPS, etc ). In my case, Kindle helped me a lot. I suggest everyone to use online devices to jump from one topic to other easily and to memorize what you have just read easily. However I missed on icons used by the book such as tip, remember, danger, and technical stuff on details that associated themselves with these icons. Since I used converted pdf file on Kindle( I would not recommend anyone to do so ). Just buy a Kindle version that would not tamper with the book style. I am planning to re-read this book soon with the Kindle version not only to get deep understanding of each topic but also to use the Kindle version for later in my professional career.
Aspire to be an investment banker someday, if not for life long then for some years!!! Want to execute those millions and billions of dollar deals by doing analysis not only on spreadsheets but also on people. Happy Reading & Keep Aspiring.
April 27, 2016
It was very useful to learn about this almost mythical world. It's a good summary and useful for anyone who is not an insider but has some own reason why seek understanding. It will certainly help you read news M&A stories differently.
May 2, 2021
Investment banking for dummies was pretty much exactly what I expected it to be. It was nicely readable, relatively simple, and nicely holistic. Maybe even too holistic - some of the descriptions of various types of fund types felt unnecessary.
February 3, 2016
Good introductory book
August 31, 2018
It was interesting read.
July 10, 2022
Repetitive
This book needed a strong editor. It is repetitive and instead of providing a strong overview get bogged down in minutiae. Investopedia is better.
This book needed a strong editor. It is repetitive and instead of providing a strong overview get bogged down in minutiae. Investopedia is better.
March 25, 2017
can skip to the particular chapters you are not familiar with if you passed CPA exams.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews