what is an investment bank 
an investment bank is a financial services company that acts as an intermediary in large and complex financial transactions an investment bank is usually involved when a startup company prepares for its launch of an initial public offering ipo and when a corporation merges with a competitor it also has a role as a broker or financial adviser for large institutional clients such as pension funds 1global investment banks include jpmorgan chase goldman sachs morgan stanley citigroup bank of america credit suisse and deutsche bank many of these names also offer storefront community banking and have divisions that cater to the investment needs of high net worth individuals investopedia sydney burns