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. 

What do you enjoy doing in your personal time?

Family is really important to me and I have a one year old son who keeps me busy! While finding a good work-life balance can sometimes be a challenge in our industry, I’ve found Bank of America to be very supportive as a new parent. 

In one word, how would you describe Bank of America?

Responsible.

Do you work in a global team?

Yes. While I am based in Sydney, Australia, the Global Metals & Mining Team is based all over the world. The team covers all the largest mining companies globally, coming together at least once a year at our Global Metals & Mining Conference in either Miami or Barcelona. 

What is your biggest accomplishment or achievement at Bank of America?

Earlier this year I launched research coverage of the largest independently listed rare earth company, including a research primer providing an in-depth overview of the rare earth market. The work itself was fascinating given the market opportunity, while the report itself was relatively high profile, giving me the opportunity to interact with a wide variety of people across Bank of America in both Asia and the U.S. It also led to significant, on-going interaction with clients, which is crucial for my career development.