. Acting as intermediaries between entities seeking capital and investors desiring to allocate their funds, investment banks connect issuers with a broad network of investors, including institutional investors, private equity firms, and retail investors. Such banks help companies access a variety of funding sources, which encompass public equity offerings, debt issuances, and private placements, thereby ensuring that businesses can raise capital efficiently and under favorable terms. In the realm of mergers and acquisitions (M&A), investment banks are instrumental in facilitating transactions by identifying potential targets, valuing acquisitions, structuring deals, and guiding the purchasing process