What does a typical day look like for you?
My day typically starts with an assessment of what happened in global commodity and equity markets overnight, ensuring any material news is understood ahead of the Australian market opening. I might then speak in our morning meeting with equity sales and trading, before checking to see whether any of our companies under coverage have announced anything that morning. Later on, work generally revolves around investigating research ideas, speaking with clients and mining companies, and evaluating financial models.
How would you describe your job to a friend?
In simple terms I visit mines, create financial models to value their operating companies, and write research assessing the outlook for the company’s shares. Research is sent to a broad range of global clients who invest in Australian equities.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
Day-to-day exposure to global markets is great given the inherent variability of markets and their impact on my work. I also enjoy the potential to move certain stocks with insightful research notes, while the ability to travel, work independently and interact with a wide variety of internal and external stakeholders are all additional pluses.
What skills are important for a research analyst?
A solid grasp of finance/accounting principles is important given regular modelling requirements while strong writing and interpersonal skills are also important for career development. Depending on your research sector a more technical background can be extremely useful, however many skills can be learned over time and Bank of America also has a wide variety of training programs on offer.