If you’re interested in pursuing a career in finance, starting with the world's top financial institutions can open doors to exceptional opportunities. These prestigious firms in finance offer exposure to complex deals, prestigious client networks, and mentorship from some of the brightest minds in the field.
In this guide, we’ll explore the types of finance firms available, discuss what makes some “top”, and list the best ones you can work for. Read on as we will also guide you on how to choose the best firm for you.
Before you can identify the top firms, it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with all the types of finance companies that exist. Generally speaking, finance firms are grouped into different categories based on the services they offer and the roles they serve in the financial industry and overall economy. The main types of finance firms include:
Among the various types of finance firms, some stand out for various reasons like revenue, market capitalization, and prestige. But for someone seeking a career in finance, a "top" firm should have a combination of factors that contribute to a successful, fulfilling, and progressive career. Ideally, a top finance firm for your career is one that:
The world’s best finance firms to work for include bulge bracket banks such as Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, Citi, Bank of America, Barclays, UBS, and Morgan Stanley. Also, top firms from elite boutiques, private equity, and asset management sectors like BlackRock, Blackstone, Bridgewater Associates, Lazard, Evercore, HSBC, KKR, RBC, and Wells Fargo rank high consistently.
Each of these firms offer distinct cultures, compensation structures, and career trajectories. So, below is a brief overview of each to help you understand how they might align with your professional aspirations and working style preferences.
Headquartered in London, UK, Barclays employs finance professionals in four divisions globally. These include retail banking, corporate banking, wealth and asset management, and investment banking. But it’s best known for its strong investment banking division. In IB, the top groups at Barclays are M&A and leveraged finance, especially in London.
Another top finance firm you can consider working for is Bank of America (BofA). They have offices in more than 35 countries and about 213K employees worldwide. The departments you can work in at BofA are corporate and investment banking, retail banking, private banking, and commercial banking. For the investment banking division, BofA is popular for ranking among the top firms in debt and equity underwriting deals.
👉 Bank of America Interview Guide
BlackRock was founded in 1988 and it’s the world's largest asset manager. The firm’s headquarters are in New York City but they operate in 36 countries and have over 19,000 employees. Most students across America, Asia Pacific, and the EMEA region join BlackRock through the firm’s summer internship program that lasts eight or nine weeks. For graduates, BlackRock offers a two-year analyst program.
If you want to work for the top largest alternative asset manager, Blackstone might be a perfect fit. The lines of business include private equity, real estate, hedge funds, credit, and infrastructure. The firm has a 10-week summer internship program for students in their first year of business school, junior college year, or third year of university. If you’re in your last year of undergraduate studies or second year of business school, you can apply for the full-time Analyst and Associate positions. Waiting to apply after graduation will disqualify you for these programs but you can still apply for entry level roles once available.
Another top asset management firm you can consider is Bridgewater Associates. They offer risk management, macro investing, and hedge fund services. The firm doesn’t have a structured students and graduates program, but you can get in by applying to the entry level roles available on their official website. For most graduate positions, Bridgewater Associates offers on-desk formal training and on-the-job informal instruction to help you master the job.
Citi is one of the largest investment banking firms globally and has its headquarters in New York, USA. The firm does well in all areas of investment banking but its fixed income, currencies, and commodities (FICC) trading group particularly ranks well. Citi is also well known for being strong in emerging markets. Beyond IB, Citi offers commercial banking, wealth management, and retail banking services.
If your dream career path is investment banking, Evercore can be a good pick. It’s a global independent investment bank whose deals include acquisitions, mergers, sales, restructurings, and public offerings across various industries and geographies. The firm’s transaction values often reach billions of dollars, for instance advising:
Most students and graduates seeking a career in finance target the “big 4” firms in investment banking which are essentially Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, JPMorgan Chase, and Citigroup. As such, they receive a very high number of applicants for their internship and graduate programs. That shouldn’t discourage you because you stand a chance with good grades and a cultural fit. If hired, having Goldman Sachs name on your resume could open doors to other finance careers in future.
👉 Goldman Sachs Interview Guide
Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) is a multinational banking and financial services firm headquartered in London. It was founded in Hong Kong in 1865 and has a strong international presence, particularly in Asia and Europe. HSBC business areas include global banking & markets, retail and commercial banking, and wealth management.
One of the most interesting facts about HSBC is that more than 60% of the students that join them don’t have a finance background. They offer a Skills Matcher to help potential hires identify the programs that best fit their skills.
J.P. Morgan is best known for being the largest U.S. bank by assets and ranking consistently top in M&A, DCM, and ECM. The firm has one of the largest investment banks in the world by revenue. To join their analyst program, J.P. Morgan looks for soft skills like excellent problem solving, communication, and organization. They also prefer candidates who are attentive to details, quick learners, and ones ready for the fast-paced environment. Besides investment banking, J.P Morgan also looks for finance professionals in their commercial banking, asset & wealth management, and consumer banking divisions.
If private equity is your dream career, check out KKR, also known as Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. It’s widely known for handling major private equity deals and pioneering leveraged buyouts (LBOs). They didn’t really invent LBO but they were among the first companies to perfect it. KKR offers summer internships and full-time graduate programs in their asset management, insurance, and business operations departments.
Lazard is among the most prestigious elite boutique investment banks. It’s famous for ranking highly and consistently among the top firms in global M&A advisory. Besides ranking well in M&A, Lazard specializes in other IB services like restructuring and capital markets advisory. They also have asset management and corporate divisions.
In the finance space, Morgan Stanley needs no introduction. It’s a global bulge bracket investment bank that excels in different areas like wealth management, investment management, and institutional securities. It’s particularly strong in wealth management and also tops in equity underwriting and IPO advisory.
👉 Morgan Stanley Interview Guide
RBC stands for the Royal Bank of Canada and its Canada’s largest bank by market capitalization. It offers personal and commercial banking, wealth management, corporate and investment banking, insurance, and asset management services to individuals, businesses, and institutions.
RBC has an investment banking division called RBC Capital Markets, which offers global investment banking services including mergers and acquisitions (M&A), equity and debt capital markets, and strategic advisory. So, RBC is both a commercial bank and an investment bank through its Capital Markets arm.
The term UBS is no longer an acronym. It used to stand for the Union Bank of Switzerland, but its now a full company name not an abbreviation. UBS is best known for being a leading global wealth manager and investment bank. Its main business areas include wealth management for high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth individuals, asset management, investment banking, and retail banking.
The investment banking division of UBS provides advisory services, including mergers and acquisitions (M&A), underwriting of equity and debt securities, restructuring advice, and access to global capital markets. The firm also has a strong presence in equities, fixed income, foreign exchange, and rates markets.
Wells Fargo is a major U.S. bank that operates both traditional commercial banking and investment banking functions under its corporate division. Its IB services are delivered through Wells Fargo Corporate & Investment Banking (CIB) and Wells Fargo Securities (WFS). These divisions offer corporate banking, capital markets, and investment banking services, including mergers and acquisitions (M&A), equity and fixed income sales and trading, commercial real estate financing, and global market solutions.
The headquarters for Wells Fargo Corporate & Investment Banking division are in New York, NY but Wells Fargo's overall corporate headquarters is in San Francisco, California. The investment banking arm is specifically based in New York, which is common for major investment banking operations.
The right firm to start your finance career is personal. So, start with some self assessment to discover the best finance career path for you. The major finance career paths are investment banking, asset management, sales and trading, private equity and venture capital, hedge funds, wealth management or private banking, corporate finance, commercial and retail banking, fintech, and insurance.
After identifying the right finance career path for you, make a list of the firms that excel in that area. As you’ve seen from our list above, a firm that is "top" for investment banking might not be "top" for asset management or private wealth. Also note that within each firm, specific groups like M&A, restructuring, or capital markets, can have varying experiences and reputations. So, research divisions too.
Most of the best firms in finance hire large analyst classes every year and offer standardized career paths for students and graduates. However, some especially niche or non-traditional finance companies like Allianz, American Express, Berkshire Hathaway, and others hire in smaller numbers. So keep that in mind as you target them.
Then research each firm’s opportunities to identify your perfect entry point. If you’re still in school, summer internships are the best option while graduate programs work for final year students and those awaiting graduation. It’s best to apply early and to several firms as your perfect choice may not always end up hiring you.
The top finance firms are the gold standard for investment banking, private equity, institutional asset management, and hedge funds globally. They include Barclays, BofA, BlackRock, Blackstone, Bridgewater Associates, Citigroup, Evercore, Goldman Sachs, HSBC, JP Morgan Chase, KKR, Lazard, Morgan Stanley, RBC, UBS, and Wells Fargo. These firms are usually the gateway for the most coveted high-finance jobs, especially those aiming for M&A, private equity, or top hedge funds.
However, the best firm for you may depend on your own values. Some may prioritize prestige and pay, others culture and balance, or international mobility.
