Become A Finance Analyst
Where do you want to work?
Working As A Finance Analyst
- Analyzing Data or Information
- Getting Information
- Interacting With Computers
- Processing Information
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
Deal with People
Mostly Sitting
Repetitive
$63,000
Average Salary
What Does A Finance Analyst Do
Financial analysts provide guidance to businesses and individuals making investment decisions. They assess the performance of stocks, bonds, and other types of investments.
Duties
Financial analysts typically do the following:
- Recommend individual investments and collections of investments, which are known as portfolios
- Evaluate current and historical financial data
- Study economic and business trends
- Examine a company’s financial statements to determine its value
- Meet with company officials to gain better insight into the company’s prospects
- Assess the strength of the management team
- Prepare written reports
Financial analysts evaluate investment opportunities. They work in banks, pension funds, mutual funds, securities firms, insurance companies, and other businesses. Financial analysts are also called securities analysts and investment analysts.
Financial analysts can be divided into two categories: buy-side analysts and sell-side analysts.
- Buy-side analysts develop investment strategies for companies that have a lot of money to invest. These companies, called institutional investors, include mutual funds, hedge funds, insurance companies, independent money managers, and nonprofit organizations with large endowments, such as some universities.
- Sell-side analysts advise financial services sales agents who sell stocks, bonds, and other investments.
Some analysts work for the business media or other research houses, which are independent from the buy and sell side.
Financial analysts generally focus on trends affecting a specific industry, geographical region, or type of product. For example, an analyst may focus on a subject area such as the energy industry, a world region such as Eastern Europe, or the foreign exchange market. They must understand how new regulations, policies, and political and economic trends may affect investments.
Investing is becoming more global, and some financial analysts specialize in a particular country or region. Companies want those financial analysts to understand the language, culture, business environment, and political conditions in the country or region that they cover.
The following are examples of types of financial analysts:
Portfolio managers select the mix of products, industries, and regions for their company’s investment portfolio. These managers are responsible for the overall performance of the portfolio. They are also expected to explain investment decisions and strategies in meetings with stakeholders.
Fund managers work exclusively with hedge funds or mutual funds. Both fund and portfolio managers frequently make buy or sell decisions in reaction to quickly changing market conditions.
Ratings analysts evaluate the ability of companies or governments to pay their debts, including bonds. On the basis of their evaluation, a management team rates the risk of a company or government not being able to repay its bonds.
Risk analysts evaluate the risk in investment decisions and determine how to manage unpredictability and limit potential losses. This job is carried out by making investment decisions such as selecting dissimilar stocks or having a combination of stocks, bonds, and mutual funds in a portfolio.
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How To Become A Finance Analyst
Financial analysts typically must have a bachelor’s degree, but a master’s degree is often required for advanced positions.
Education
Most positions require a bachelor’s degree. A number of fields of study provide appropriate preparation, including accounting, economics, finance, statistics, and mathematics. For advanced positions, employers often require a master’s degree in business administration (MBA) or a master’s degree in finance. Knowledge of options pricing, bond valuation, and risk management are important.
Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) is the main licensing organization for the securities industry. It requires licenses for many financial analyst positions. Most of the licenses require sponsorship by an employer, so companies do not expect individuals to have these licenses before starting a job.
Certification is often recommended by employers and can improve the chances for advancement. An example is the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) certification from the CFA Institute. Financial analysts can become CFA certified if they have a bachelor’s degree, 4 years of qualified work experience, and pass three exams. Financial analysts can also become certified in their field of specialty.
Advancement
Financial analysts typically start by specializing in a specific investment field. As they gain experience, they can become portfolio managers, who select the mix of investments for a company’s portfolio. They can also become fund managers, who manage large investment portfolios for individual investors. A master’s degree in finance or business administration can improve an analyst’s chances of advancing to one of these positions.
Important Qualities
Analytical skills. Financial analysts must process a range of information in finding profitable investments.
Communication skills. Financial analysts must explain their recommendations to clients in clear language that clients can easily understand.
Computer skills. Financial analysts must be adept at using software packages to analyze financial data, see trends, create portfolios, and make forecasts.
Decisionmaking skills. Financial analysts must provide a recommendation to buy, hold, or sell a security.
Detail oriented. Financial analysts must pay attention to details when reviewing possible investments, as small issues may have large implications for the health of an investment.
Math skills. Financial analysts use mathematical skills when estimating the value of financial securities.
To be successful, financial analysts must be motivated to seek out obscure information that may be important to the investment. Many work independently and must have self-confidence in their judgment.
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380 Finance Analyst jobs
$76,146 Estimated
$78,611 Estimated
$63,000 Estimated
$63,000 Estimated
$76,146 Estimated
$89,320 Estimated
$89,320 Estimated
$76,146 Estimated
$89,320 Estimated
$89,320 Estimated
$76,146 Estimated
$89,320 Estimated
$76,146 Estimated
$89,320 Estimated
$89,320 Estimated
$89,320 Estimated
$76,146 Estimated
$67,190 Estimated
$76,146 Estimated
$89,320 Estimated
Real Finance Analyst Salaries
Job Title
|
Company
|
Location
|
Start Date
|
Salary
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Financial Analyst | Otter Media Holdings, LLC | Santa Monica, CA | Aug 22, 2015 | $300,000 |
| Financial Analyst | Federal Reserve Bank of New York | New York, NY | Jan 12, 2015 | $260,000 |
| Financial Analyst | Glencore Ltd. | Stamford, CT | Sep 15, 2015 | $250,000 |
| Financial Analyst | Tiger Veda Management, LLC | New York, NY | Feb 10, 2016 | $225,000 |
| Financial Analyst | Coltrane Asset Management LP | New York, NY | Oct 09, 2016 | $225,000 |
| Financial Analyst | Littlejohn & Co. LLC | Greenwich, CT | May 01, 2015 | $220,000 |
| Financial Analyst | Bruce S. Brickman &Amp; Associates, Inc. | New York, NY | Feb 15, 2016 | $205,000 |
| Financial Analyst | Blazeridge, LLC | New York, NY | May 30, 2016 | $200,000 |
| Financial Analyst | Bronson Point Management LLC | Fairfield, CT | Apr 02, 2015 | $200,000 |
| Financial Analyst | Fir Tree Partners Inc. | New York, NY | Sep 02, 2015 | $200,000 |
Top Skills for A Finance Analyst
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Top Finance Analyst Skills
- Monthly Financial Statements
- Asset
- Financial Analysis
- Prepare monthly financial statements and perform monthly data upload to the company's databases.
- Review budgets vs. actual operating statements and prepare comprehensive financing packages for financial institutions including detailed underwriting analysis of each asset.
- Provided financial analysis on major supplier contract negotiations, maximizing volume rebate and performance incentives.
- Developed effective working relationships with federal and external auditors to meet year- end reviews deadlines, and project with restricting found.
- Researched general ledger accounts to identify discrepancies between auditing reports and other internal and external records.
Top Finance Analyst Employers
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What Kind Of Companies Hire a Finance Analyst
- IBM
- Lockheed Martin
- Pepsico
- Bank of America
- Metlife
- Citigroup
- JP Morgan Chase
- Comcast
- Verizon Wireless
- Hewlett Packard
Finance Analyst Videos
Career Advice on becoming a Management Accountant by Matthew R (Full Version)