Compensation Report: Hedge Funds and Private Equity Firms Add as I-Banks Subtract

Bloomberg recently published an article (“Hedge Funds Hire From Wall Street as Jobs Disappear, Pay Falls“) about forty-five investment bankers who have left for hedge funds and private equity firms, as traditional i-banking businesses have softened. While the article may raise the anxiety levels of those seeking to enter banking, one line in particular should give those interested in this field some solace: “The retrenchment may leave Wall Street firms short of talent if their investment-banking and trading businesses begin to recover.” Indeed, as was the case during the last slump on Wall Street (2001-2004), the large firms cut quite deeply and were clamoring for talent as the market returned. Could the MBA candidate applying today and graduating in 2011 be in great shape after all?