If you hear the term Equity Capital Markets (ECM), you may instantly think of Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) and companies raising billions of dollars on massive debuts on the stock market. Equity capital markets originate, structure, and execute equity-related and new issues, such as initial public offerings (IPOs), secondary offerings, rights issues, convertible bonds, swap bonds, and some types of financing before an IPO.
Financial instruments and activities include the marketing and allocation of issues, initial public offerings (IPOs), private placements, derivatives trading, and bookbuilding. Bulge bracket investment banks will provide ECM investment banking services, which consist of a variety of activities, such as the marketing, distribution, and allocation of new issues, IPOs, private placements, the purchase and sale of stocks, special warrants, and trading in derivative instruments, such as futures and options. Investment banking services at Northland Capital Markets include equity and convertible securities offerings, PIPEs and registered direct offerings, private placements of equity and debt securities, and mergers and acquisitions advisory services. In corporate finance, Equity Capital Markets is the investment banking business involving the advice to companies, also called Issuers, in raising capital in the capital markets.
Rabobanks Equity Capital Markets (ECM) investment banking teams advise and assist publicly-owned and private companies, public-sector entities, and financial sponsors on capital markets transactions. The equity capital markets are a subset of the wider capital markets, in which financial institutions and companies engage in transactions for trading of financial instruments and raising capital for companies. Secondary stock markets include exchanges, and are a main place of public investment of company equity. In a primary stock market, private companies may be taken public via an initial public offering, while listed companies may issue new shares via staggered issues.
In the private placement market, companies do not have to register securities with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), since they are not subject to the same regulatory requirements as listed securities. In The Private Placement Market, companies raise private capital via non-publicly traded shares sold to investors directly. Some banks also have private placement teams, which assist companies with raising equity by selling shares to a smaller group of larger investors (as opposed to offering on the wider market).
Sometimes, companies can get the help of a private financial institution for raising equity capital, too. In certain cases, particularly private placements, the equity markets also help entrepreneurs and founders of companies to gain the expertise and supervision of more senior colleagues. For a privately held company to become publicly traded, either via an IPO or structured buyout, it is necessary to have the right kind of folks managing those transactions.
Private limited companies and partnerships are restricted from public stock because they do not have large, active shareholder bases. Private equity is raised from private limited enterprises and partnerships because they cannot publicly exchange their shares. Private equity is different than public stock, with the former being placed through the primary markets, while the latter is placed in the secondary markets.
Equity capital is raised by issuing shares of the business, either publicly or privately, and is used to finance expansion of the business. The company does not raise capital at all — rather, a group of investors sells their shares to another group of investors. The higher the share ownership ratio of the firms capital structure, the lower debt that firm must raise.
When a company has publically traded shares, its market cap can be calculated by calculating its stock price times its outstanding shares. Common stock shares represent capital in ownership, and holders of common shares/stock are paid dividends from a companys profits. An ADR facilitates foreign share trading in the United States by allowing shares from foreign companies to enter the market, which is well-developed.
As mentioned above, an ADR is more extensive than the equities market, covering a wider variety of activities and financial instruments. If you have a business that is looking to raise money, execute an IPO, or solicit investors, you will want to look for an ECM investment banking team. Through an ECM group–whether it is at a particular firm, or within the investment banks larger unit–you will be equipped to figure out how to raise the capital you need, or to go public.
ECM professionals will help you structure deals, explore new deals, or work on presentations for prospective clients. ECM investment banking professionals help raise capital on both the public and private markets for major acquisitions, strategic financing, and balance sheet consolidation. For example, many investment banking firms such as Bank of America, HSBC, etc., operate globally with various diverse companies.
Investment banks are the main players on primary stock markets, as they are needed by both initial public offerings and SEO/SPOs to provide their underwriting services. Venture capital funds, leveraged buyouts, and private equity funds are the largest sources of private equity (click for private equity careers). If you’d like to invest in private equity and learn more about it, you can reach out to a reliable private equity management company for advice.
It is not impossible to get roles in private equity or corporate development, but it is extraordinarily hard, and if you are coming from a sales background, you are going to struggle to interest headhunters. Your answer to Walk Me Through Your Resume would be similar to the one you would say to the other groups, but you should highlight how you enjoy both markets and deals, and that is why the equity capital markets are a great match given your past experience, current interests, and your future career goals. The key difference is that you should demonstrate a greater market interest — being able to discuss recent stock issues and trends, how indices are doing, and what the IPOs and subsequent offerings in your area of focus have done lately.
Grupo Financiero Banorte is Mexico’s largest bank by total assets, deposits, and shareholder equity, which is neither controlled nor affiliated with any non-Mexican financial institution. Represents Loma Negra C.I.A.S.A. portfolio monitoring solutions,, a leading Argentine concrete company, as issuer and selling shareholder, Loma Negra Holding GmbH, in connection with Loma Negras US$1.1 billion initial public offering of common shares of Loma Negra and its American depositary shares listing on the New York Stock Exchange.