Equity Analyst Job Description Template

The equity analyst covers listed companies within a sector and produces the research that drives long and short positions. The work rewards specific knowledge: unit economics, competitive dynamics, the quality of the accounting and where management guidance tends to be optimistic. Short work in particular demands care, since being early and being wrong look identical for some time. The analyst is expected to own a view and be accountable for it.

Typical Duties and Responsibilities

• Cover a sector of listed equities and maintain models across those names
• Develop long and short theses supported by primary and financial analysis
• Assess earnings quality, accounting policy and the durability of margins
• Track competitive dynamics, pricing and market share shifts across the sector
• Attend or listen to earnings calls and interrogate management guidance
• Build and defend variant perceptions against sell side consensus
• Monitor position risk and flag deteriorating theses promptly
• Write research notes and update them as the situation develops
• Meet company management, competitors, suppliers and customers
• Contribute to sector level views on cycle, valuation and positioning

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in finance, economics, accounting or a related field

Required Skills and Experience

• 3+ years of equity research experience covering a defined sector
• Strong accounting skills, including the ability to spot aggressive treatment
• Experience building and defending short theses as well as long ones
• Ability to develop a view that differs from consensus and support it
• Fluency with Excel, and with FactSet, Bloomberg or a comparable terminal
• Clear writing and confident verbal presentation of ideas
• Discipline in tracking catalysts and revisiting assumptions
• Sector knowledge relevant to the fund’s mandate

Preferred Qualifications

• CFA charter
• Experience with a long short equity strategy