Investment banks play a crucial role in facilitating capital raising, mergers and acquisitions, trading and research for corporations, governments and institutions. As a major US state, Illinois is home to offices and operations of many leading global and domestic investment banks. In this article, we will provide an overview of major investment banks with presence in Illinois and discuss their key business activities and offerings in the state.
Prominent national investment banks with major operations in Illinois
As one of the largest commercial and financial hubs in the US, Chicago and the state of Illinois host major investment banking operations for firms like Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, Morgan Stanley, Bank of America Merrill Lynch among others. These banks cover the full range of investment banking services including equity and debt underwriting, M&A advisory, sales and trading across asset classes for corporations, institutions and government entities in the state and broader Midwest region.
Leading Chicago-headquartered investment banks
Apart from national investment banks, Chicago is also home to a number of locally headquartered boutique investment banks including William Blair, Mesirow Financial, Loop Capital and others. These firms tend to specialize in certain sectors or services and work extensively with mid-market companies and local institutions and governments in Illinois and surrounding areas.
Presence of major global exchanges supporting investment banking activities
The presence of major global derivatives and commodities exchanges like CME Group and CBOE Global Markets in Chicago also help support a vibrant investment banking and capital markets environment in the state. Trading firms co-located next to these exchanges help provide liquidity and enable investment banks to more effectively carry out trading activities.
Key factors driving investment banking business in Illinois
Illinois offers investment banks access to headquarters of major corporations across manufacturing, agriculture, transportation and other sectors which drives financing and advisory business. Many fast growing startups focused on tech, biotech and cleantech sectors are also based in the state providing growth opportunities. The vibrant exchanges and trading ecosystem also enables strong sales, trading and research businesses catering to needs of asset managers and other institutional investors.
As a leading financial and commercial center in the US, Illinois offers a supportive environment for major national and local investment banks to carry out capital raising, strategic advisory and trading activities. Presence of corporate headquarters, critical infrastructure like exchanges and a skilled talent pool help drive diverse investment banking business opportunities in the state.