A friend of mine (do not know him that well) switched to Equity Research department after two years in IBD, why is that case? and is such move common among analysts?
Yeah, many analysts are encouraged to switch groups (either within IBD or across divisions) after the end of the third year. It's essentially another job search process, although it is mostly internal. And the switching really depends on personal preference and group needs. I was exploring switching to Hong Kong (from NYC) to check it out, was offered a position, but decided to turn it down and went back to grad school instead.