Investment Analyst
Researches companies, markets and instruments to produce recommendations that other people can act on.
What the role involves
- Research companies and industries, building a defensible investment thesis
- Build financial models that forecast revenue, costs and valuation
- Track results against expectations and update the thesis honestly
- Write research notes and make recommendations with clear risks
- Present to portfolio managers and answer challenging questions
Core skills
- Financial Modelling & Valuation (level 5/5)
- Financial Statement Analysis (level 4/5)
- Investment Thesis Writing (level 4/5)
- Market & Industry Research (level 4/5)
- Business Communication (level 4/5)
- Risk Assessment (level 3/5)
Preferred skills
- SQL & Database Design
- Data Analysis & Reporting
- Excel
Tools
Experience expected
1-4 years in investment research, equity research or corporate finance
Projects that prove the role
- Investment thesis that outperformed the sector over twelve months
- Model rebuilt after a business model change, with historical restatement
- Sector report used by the wider investment team
Evidence to collect
- A research note with a clear thesis, risks and price target logic
- A model you can walk through line by line
- A published piece of research or a university investment competition win
What the interview covers
- A thesis that turned out wrong and what you learned
- Building a model when the company is pre-revenue
- A company you cannot build a thesis on
- Valuation of a business with no earnings
How the role progresses
- Junior Research Analyst
- Investment Analyst
- Senior Analyst
- Portfolio Manager
- Head of Research
Certifications that carry weight
- CFA Program
- CFA Society Research Challenge
- Financial Modeling World Cup
Related roles
- financial-analyst
- treasury-analyst
- financial-planner
Turn this into a plan
Inside CareerDev4AI, choosing this role generates a roadmap of the skills, projects and milestones that move you towards it.