Category Archives: Investment Banking

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If you could only use 1 financial statement with 5 years of data, but were given information about dividends, share buybacks, and equity issuances, which would you use to evaluate an investment?

We should use the balance sheet if we have at least two years of data, as well as dividend information, share buybacks, and equity issuances. This is because you can effectively figure out the changes in cash flow and net income by comparing this year’s balance sheet with the previous year’s bal...
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If you could only use one financial statement, which would you use to evaluate an investment?

We should use the cash flow statement, because it tells us the most about a company’s financial health. Cash is king, because we ultimately decide on a company’s value based on its cash flows. The income statement only shows net income, but this is an accounting number and it does not show impor...
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Why do many traditional mid-market PE firms avoid holding the real estate when buying a company?

Many traditional mid-market PE firms which focus on buying companies for their cash flows and do not have any real estate groups will try to avoid having to buy a lot of real estate in order to complete an LBO. This is because they prefer to focus on their core competencies in buying companies with ...
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Tell me about an industry trend you’re following in private equity.

You should try to speak to a trend that is related to the group you’re interviewing for or the subsectors that the PE firm focuses on. For example, if the group is focused on infrastructure, you can speak to how solar power projects have been significantly boosted from the US infrastructure spendi...
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Walk me through a deal you’ve worked on. (1-2 min)

First, you should provide the context of the deal and company. Explain the target business in an easy-to-understand way, and describe its key segments. Provide a quick overview of the acquirer and its strategic rationale. It’s important to explain upfront why the deal is happening and what the ind...
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What are your three greatest strengths?

You should just be relatively honest about your three greatest strengths, while avoiding overconfident answers like intelligence. Passion, attitude, leadership, intellectual curiosity, work ethic, and resilience are some examples. First, list your 3 strengths. Then use this opportunity to tell a qui...
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What is your greatest strength?

This is a personal question and you should generally just be honest about your greatest strength, but make sure the wording is right. Passion, attitude, leadership, intellectual curiosity, work ethic, resilient; the list goes on. Don’t say something that makes you seem cocky, like intelligence (ev...
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