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Welcome back to another issue of ‘Career Guides Weekly’ by Career Guides.

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**NEW** ASK AFZAL

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Simply reply to this email (don’t worry, it’ll all be anonymous) with a question, situation or dilemma you’re currently facing in your career and I’ll put together a response and share it in the next issue.

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INVESTMENT BANKING (GET THE 100-PAGE GUIDE HERE - USE CODE ‘NEWSLETTER25’ FOR 25% OFF)

A recent study by Mosaic Smart Data, a leading capital markets data analytics firm, has shed light on significant challenges faced by investment banks in managing data quality and integrity.

Despite substantial annual investments in data management solutions, reaching approximately USD 88 million, many banks are still struggling to leverage AI effectively in their front office operations.

• Banking internships and graduate programs: Where to apply for 2024 (EFC)

• Morgan Stanley plans to double private credit portfolio to $50 billion (RT)

• 83% of investment banks have no real-time access to data or analytics (FF)

• Global investment banking fees hit five-year low in 2023 (TB)

  

GLOBAL MARKETS (GET THE 107-PAGE GUIDE HERE - USE CODE ‘NEWSLETTER25’ FOR 25% OFF)

The Bank of England is likely to acknowledge this week that it is seeing unexpectedly rapid progress in getting inflation down, analysts said, but the central bank is not expected to begin cutting interest rates yet.

The BoE’s Monetary Policy Committee is widely anticipated to hold rates at 5.25 per cent for a fourth straight month at its first meeting of 2024, after an aggressive campaign of 14 rate rises aimed at quashing inflation.

The policy announcement, due on Thursday, will be accompanied by new forecasts that are expected to show sharp declines in UK inflation in the coming months.

• Asia stocks soar despite big week for risk (RT)

• Bank of England set to hold rates despite improving inflation backdrop (FT)

• Traders step up ECB rate cut bets, sensing shift on inflation front (RT)

• Five signs the Fed's pivot is underway before even a single rate cut (RT)

  

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ASSET MANAGEMENT (GET THE 71-PAGE GUIDE HERE - USE CODE ‘NEWSLETTER25’ FOR 25% OFF)

U.S. investors continued to reduce their holdings in equity funds for the fourth consecutive week up to Jan. 24, exhibiting caution ahead of a major inflation report and a Federal Reserve meeting set for the following week.

British authorities will not decide until next year at the earliest on whether to go ahead with a state-backed digital pound that would provide an alternative to payments operated by banks and technology companies.

Chinese asset managers are lining up for licenses to operate in Dubai as warming ties between China and the Middle East continue to offer business opportunities.

• Dubai sees rising appetite from Chinese asset managers (RT)

• US equity fund withdrawals ebb to four-week low amid tech-led Wall Street rally (RT)

  

• UK still undecided on digital cash as privacy concerns persist (RT)

PRIVATE EQUITY (GET THE 127-PAGE GUIDE HERE - USE CODE ‘NEWSLETTER25’ FOR 25% OFF)

• Carried interest in private equity? KKR just explained exactly how it works (EFC)

• Blackstone Is building a $25bn empire of power-hungry data centers (BBG)

• Wall street unleashes quants to grab private-market billions (BBG)

HEDGE FUNDS (GET THE 116-PAGE GUIDE HERE - USE CODE ‘NEWSLETTER25’ FOR 25% OFF)

• Top hedge funds make record $67bn in profits for 2023 (TG)

• Millennium pulls out of hedge fund it backed with $1.5 billion (BBG)

VENTURE CAPITAL (GET THE 122-PAGE VC GUIDE HERE - USE CODE ‘NEWSLETTER25’ FOR 25% OFF)

• Global startup funding in 2023 clocks in at lowest level in 5 years (CB)

• How can venture capital survive a three-year liquidity drop? (TC)

• This week’s biggest funding rounds (CB)

BEFORE YOU LEAVE

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

🧠 How to Set Goals for 2024

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