There's no doubt that the last year of turmoil in the financial markets has rearranged the rankings of investment banks, hedge funds and private equity firms. We're in a Nietzschean period, with a revaluation of all values (and a devaluation of most values).
So which firms have come out on top? The lads and lasses at HereIsTheCity, a London financial gossip sheet, has decided to rank financial firms according to the preference of employees and job-seekers. What are the prizes in the new financial economy? What are the "safety schools?" Although the methodology behind the rankings is a bit mysterious, HITC takes into account job security, work/life balance, job satisfaction, compensation/benefits and staff morale to create it's rankings. They present this as a ranking of which firms are "in vogue" or "hip" right now.
The results are controversial. Working for the Financial Service Authority ranks above working for Goldman Sachs. DE Shaw is the first rank private equity shop. Wachovia Securities is dead last.
After the jump, we bring you HITC's top ten and a link to the full list.
Top Ten Hip Financial Firms
1. BlackRock
2. Barclays Global Investors
3. JPMorgan Asset Management
4. Renaissance Technologies Corp.
5. Macquarie
6. Nomura
7. Och-Ziff Capital Management Group
8. D. E. Shaw
9. BNP Paribas
10. Scotia Capital
Posted by guest , Jul 01, 2008 10:58AM
The shit is hitting the fan at Moody's. It has an Aaa rating too!
Posted by guest , Jul 01, 2008 10:58AM
What? No Citi?
Posted by guest , Jul 01, 2008 11:05AM
What? No MBIA?
Posted by guest , Jul 01, 2008 11:06AM
What no New Century?
Posted by guest , Jul 01, 2008 11:08AM
What no SocGen?
Posted by guest , Jul 01, 2008 11:12AM
What? No DBL?
Posted by guest , Jul 01, 2008 11:15AM
No surprise with BNP Paribas in the top 10. They are masterminds of surviving the credit crunch unscathed. They were also the first to sound the alarm bells back in August 2007 before anyone knew what was about to hit the market in the New Year.
Posted by Anal_yst , Jul 01, 2008 11:52AM
@ 11:15
And they're also french. F&ck em'
(in fairness they're more risk-averse, so yes they've managed to get on relatively unscathed)
Posted by chad , Jul 01, 2008 11:56AM
13. The Financial Services Authority
riiiiiiiiiight
At least I made top 80.
Posted by guest , Jul 01, 2008 11:58AM
@11:52 - I don't think you can say they are more risk averse when depend so much on derivatives (mainly equity) and project finance. Not to mention they had a record YE07 and are one of the few (2 or 3) banks that have been profitable every quarter since the crunch.
Posted by guest , Jul 01, 2008 11:58AM
@11:52 - I don't think you can say they are more risk averse when they depend so much on derivatives (mainly equity) and project finance. Not to mention they had a record YE07 and are one of the few (2 or 3) banks that have been profitable every quarter since the crunch.
Posted by guest , Jul 01, 2008 12:00PM
@11:15 - they are also masterminds of avoiding the top 10 in any US league table as well
Posted by Anal_yst , Jul 01, 2008 12:16PM
@ 11:58/12:00
I should have clarified; like socgen they're big in eqd, but in IB (especially in the US), they haven't committed significant resources like DB or the swiss.
Posted by guest , Jul 01, 2008 12:20PM
# 36. Stephens? Who?
"Stephens Inc. is a full service, privately owned investment bank headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas, with offices across the country in key markets, as well as abroad in London."
Arkansas?
Posted by Peon , Jul 01, 2008 12:22PM
Hahahahaha, I love that Wachovia is ranked dead last. WTF would anyone want to work as a bank teller, anyway?
Posted by guest , Jul 01, 2008 12:49PM
How is SocGen #11???
Posted by Anal_yst , Jul 01, 2008 1:23PM
a dubious list, with even more dubious criteria, at best
Posted by guest , Jul 01, 2008 1:23PM
@12:49 - Soc Gen did not fire many people apart from Jerome Kerviel (even less than BNP) and are part of the few banks that have been profitable every quarter so far.
Posted by guest , Jul 01, 2008 1:32PM
This distribution of firms strongly hints that they just randomized the list
Posted by guest , Jul 01, 2008 2:27PM
These rankings are ludicrous. Wachovia Securities is a top 100 firm!
Posted by guest , Jul 01, 2008 2:42PM
Soc Gen also pays their employees in baguettes…
Posted by guest , Jul 01, 2008 2:48PM
@2:27 hahaha awesome, case closed!
Posted by guest , Jul 01, 2008 3:29PM
xenophobes
Posted by guest , Jul 01, 2008 5:20PM
What no Thomas Weisel?
Posted by Peon , Jul 01, 2008 5:43PM
@2:27
If Wachovia is top 100, then so is my left nut, even if my sack is all shriveled up. (Paired with the right, I'd put them in the top 50.)
Posted by guest , Jul 01, 2008 5:47PM
why is goldman on there twice?
Posted by guest , Jul 01, 2008 5:48PM
what about GSC?
Posted by guest , Jul 01, 2008 8:17PM
Lil' Stephens Inc - private IB...if you have to ask you can't afford it.
Try googling "alotian."
Maybe the rankings where swayed by golf?
Posted by guest , Jul 03, 2008 2:58PM
You mean hip replacement league, right? Banks? Come on!
Posted by guest , Jul 08, 2008 2:47PM
With all the recent layoffs at BB's going on, I'm surprised there aren't more boutiques and mid-market firms on this list.
Posted by guest , Jul 23, 2008 4:50PM
Dan Loeb was right. Proof the English shouldn't be allowed to play with money.
Posted by guest , Aug 01, 2008 3:33PM
Anyone heard the rumor of JPM buying Wachovia? I have information from people on Charlotte that JPM company planes have been making lots of trips down there - and not to visit BOA.
Posted by ReubenM , Mar 25, 2009 11:15PM
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