Hi all,
I’ve got my first-round interview coming up at Rothschild for an M&A analyst role. Can anyone share how technical it gets? Is it mostly behavioral, or do they dive deep into valuation, accounting, etc. right away?
Hey There!
The first-round interview at Rothschild for an M&A analyst role usually strikes a balance between behavioral and technical questions. While they definitely want to understand your motivations: why investment banking, why Rothschild, and why M&A specifically- they also expect you to have a solid handle on technical fundamentals.
You can anticipate questions around valuation methods like DCF, trading comps, and precedent transactions, as well as some accounting basics such as how the three financial statements link together or what happens to financials if certain line items change. It’s not about drilling you with the deepest technicals in round one, but they do want to see you’re well-prepared and can confidently walk through key concepts. Sometimes they might also weave technicals into deal discussions, asking how you’d approach evaluating a hypothetical transaction.
So while the behavioral side matters, you should be ready to show you’ve done the technical prep especially since Rothschild has a reputation for valuing strong analytical and execution skills early on.
Hey!
In the first round at Rothschild for an M&A analyst role, you can expect a mix of both behavioral and technical questions. They often want to get a sense of your motivation for the role and your understanding of investment banking, so prepare to explain why you're interested in M&A, why Rothschild, and what makes you a good fit. These questions help them assess your communication skills and whether you've done your homework on the firm.
On the technical side, Rothschild tends to test the fundamentals early on. Expect questions on valuation methods such as DCF, comparable company analysis, and precedent transactions.
You should also be ready to walk through how the three financial statements connect and handle basic accounting scenarios, such as what happens when depreciation changes. The interview may not go as deep as a full modeling test, but they want to see that you have a solid grasp of the concepts and can explain them clearly. A confident, structured approach to answering these questions will go a long way.
Great question. Nitesh covered the essentials well. I'd just add that Rothschild can go slightly deeper than other banks, even in first rounds. It's less about tricky math and more about how well you understand the "why" behind valuation methods and deal logic.
Someone I know was even asked to walk through a real deal. Solid fundamentals plus some context on applying them is a good way to prep. Let me know if you'd like a quick checklist.
