What is the primary role of securities firms and investment banks? - Answers To help net suppliers of
funds transfer capital to net users of funds efficiently and at a low cost.
What is the primary focus of investment banking? - Answers The origination, underwriting, and
placement of new debt and equity securities, as well as corporate finance activities like M&As.
What is the primary focus of securities firms? - Answers The purchase, sale, and brokerage of existing
securities in secondary markets.
How is the size of the securities industry typically measured? - Answers By the equity capital of the
participating firms.
What was a major cause for the dramatic change in the number of firms in the securities industry over
time? - Answers Regulatory changes, such as the Financial Service Modernization Act of 1999.
What happened to the five largest investment banks at the beginning of 2008? - Answers They were
all gone as independent investment banks by the end of the year due to the financial crisis.
What are national full-service investment banks? - Answers Diversified firms that service both retail
customers as broker-dealers and corporate customers through securities underwriting.
What distinguishes commercial banks that operate as full-service investment banks? - Answers They
are the largest of the full-service firms and maintain extensive domestic and international operations.
What is the focus of national full-service firms like Goldman Sachs? - Answers Corporate finance,
primary market activities, and active trading in secondary markets.
What are regional securities firms? - Answers Firms that perform a mix of primary and secondary
market services for a particular segment of the financial markets.
What is the difference between a public and private securities offering? - Answers A public offering is
a sale to the public at large, while a private offering involves placing securities with one or a few large
institutional investors.
What is the difference between best efforts and firm commitment underwriting? - Answers In firm
commitment, the bank guarantees the sale; in best efforts, the bank acts as an agent without
guaranteeing the sale.
Why do commercial banks often avoid lending to new, small firms? - Answers New firms often lack
the assets or business history required for traditional bank loans.
What is venture capital (VC)? - Answers A professionally managed pool of money used to finance
new, high-risk firms in exchange for equity.
Are venture capital firms passive investors? - Answers No, they provide valuable expertise to
managers and assist with activities like recruiting.
Who are 'angels' in the context of venture capital? - Answers Wealthy individuals who make equity
investments in new firms.
What is the main difference between VC and private equity (PE) firms? - Answers VC firms focus on
startups and emerging technologies, while PE firms deal with existing, proven companies.
What is market making? - Answers The creation of a secondary market in an asset by a securities firm
or investment bank.
What are agency transactions in market making? - Answers Two-way transactions executed on behalf
of customers.
What are principal transactions in market making? - Answers Transactions where the market maker
takes long or short inventory positions to profit from price movements.
What is the role of a Designated Market Maker (DMM)? - Answers To provide liquidity in a specific
NYSE security by assuming risk and displaying quotes.
What are seasoned issues in investment banking? - Answers New issues of debt or equity from a firm
whose securities are already trading.
What is the primary purpose of institutional VC firms? - Answers To find and fund the most promising
new firms.
How has the financial crisis affected the distinction between VC and PE firms? - Answers The
distinction has become less clear as fewer new ventures have led to increased competition between
the two types of firms.
What is the primary role of a Designated Market Maker (DMM) at the NYSE? - Answers To provide
liquidity in a specific security by assuming risk and displaying quotes in the exchange limit order book.
What is the difference between trading and market-making? - Answers Trading involves taking an
active net position in an underlying instrument or asset.