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Major Global Investment Bank, Meaning and What Makes Them Major?

authorImageShruti Kumari29 Sept, 2025

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Major Global Investment Bank

Major Global Investment Bank serves as a financial institution that operates across borders. It advises corporations and governments. It helps raise capital. It trades securities. It shapes global markets. It's due to their varied and important functions that it remains central to global finance. 

These markets influence how money moves and big projects are funded. The entire risk is managed in these Major global investment banks. Therefore, here we explore what defines a major global investment bank, who the major players are, and what they do. Keep referring to the provided information to get a detailed understanding.

Introduction to Global Investment Banks

An investment bank is a firm that assists others in complex financial operations. These operations include raising funds via stock or bond offerings, buying or selling entire companies (mergers & acquisitions, or M&A), or trading securities. 

Global investment banks work across many countries. They have scale and reach. They serve large clients. The term Major Global Investment Bank refers to those with significant market cap, wide geographic presence, deep service portfolios, and strong reputations.

What Makes an Investment Bank ‘Major’?

A Major Global Investment Bank is defined as “major” by its size, global reach, and diverse service portfolio. These institutions stand out due to their scale, client base, reputation, and ability to manage complex financial operations worldwide. The table below carries some details of such considerations: 

What Makes an Investment Bank ‘Major’
Criteria Description
Deal Size & Volume Handles billion-dollar transactions and large-scale capital raising.
Global Reach Operates across major financial centers worldwide.
Range of Services Offers M&A, underwriting, trading, risk management, and asset management.
Capital Strength & Regulation Meets strict regulatory demands and maintains strong financial reserves.
Reputation & Track Record Trusted for successful deals, rankings, and market share.

Top Bulge Bracket Banks Worldwide

Here are some of the banks that qualify as major global investment banks in 2025. They are often called bulge bracket banks. They include:

  • JPMorgan Chase & Co.: One of the largest. It offers a full spectrum of services: advisory, underwriting, capital markets, risk management, and asset management. It has a large global footprint.

  • Goldman Sachs: Known for advisory work, equity and debt underwriting, prime brokerage, and trading. It remains a major global investment bank.

  • Morgan Stanley: Strong in wealth management and capital markets, plus advisory in sectors like technology and healthcare. It remains among the major global investment banks.

  • Bank of America Securities: Provides underwriting, trading, and equity research. It is one of the major global investment banks.

  • Citigroup: Because of its large resence globally and its services in fixed income, currencies, and commodities. It is counted among the major global investment banks. 

  • Barclays, Deutsche Bank, BNP Paribas: These also rank among major global investment banks. They have significant operations in Europe and globally. 

Leading Middle-Market Investment Banks

Not all banks that matter are bulge bracket. Middle-market banks fill an important role.

  • These banks work with companies whose deal sizes are smaller than those handled by the largest banks.

  • They often serve regional or industry sectors with specialization.

  • They tend to provide more personal service and quicker decision cycles.

  • Examples in 2025 include: Jefferies, Houlihan Lokey, Piper Sandler, and Macquarie. These middle-market banks act as bridges between large bulge bracket institutions and boutiques. They are often chosen when firms need good advisory work, but their deals are not of a global scale.

Key Services Offered by Major Investment Banks

A Major Global Investment Bank offers a wide range of financial services. All of these services help them to support corporations, governments, and investors. Proper catering of services helps raise capital, manage risk, and complete complex financial transactions worldwide. Check the table below to know about the services offered by Major Investment Banks: 

Key Services Offered by Major Investment Banks
Bank (2025) Core Services Special Features
Jefferies M&A advisory, equity research, trading, underwriting Strong focus on mid-size companies, known for agile deal execution
Houlihan Lokey Restructuring, M&A advisory, valuation services Global leader in restructuring advisory, high reputation in complex deals
Piper Sandler M&A advisory, equity underwriting, capital markets Sector specialization in healthcare, energy, and consumer markets
Macquarie Infrastructure finance, asset management, capital markets Strong presence in infrastructure and renewable energy finance


To build your skills and enter this field, deepen your knowledge with structured learning. If you are interested in investment banking and wish to gain practical skills in 2025, consider the Investment Banking Program in association with PwC India – Batch 2. It offers detailed training and exposure to real-world cases. Enroll in this course now and prepare for roles in major global investment banks.

 

Major Global Investment Bank FAQs

What is a Major Global Investment Bank?

A major global investment bank is a financial institution with global reach, large deal capacity, and a broad range of financial services.

Which banks are considered bulge bracket in 2025?

Bulge bracket banks in 2025 include JPMorgan, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Citigroup, Bank of America, Barclays, Deutsche Bank, and BNP Paribas.

How are middle-market investment banks different from bulge bracket banks?

Middle-market banks handle smaller deals, often serve specific industries, and provide more personalized services compared to bulge bracket banks.

What services do major global investment banks provide?

They offer M&A advisory, underwriting, capital markets services, trading, wealth management, and risk management solutions.
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