Whats the skill set an equity research analyst should have?
Financial and accounting skills are essential. As analysts, we’re reliant on financial models to do company and industry analyses. This includes looking at income-statement cash flows and the balance sheet to get a better picture of a company’s performance and financial health. These are the criteria that impact the investment outlook for a company, and usually affect stock price. So, you must be able to build and run models and understand stock valuation methods. Writing skills are also important because we communicate heavily with clients through our written reports. As you move up in research, you need to develop presentation and public speaking skills, since you’ll be interacting with others, ranging from sales people to clients. And, you must be comfortable handling client interaction on a daily basis. How would an aspiring research professional get started? A love and understanding of the markets is important. You can get it in The Wall Street Journal and Barron’s, specifically i
