Financial analysts

Financial analysts conduct quantitative analyses of information affecting investment programs of public or private institutions.

Tasks and duties

• Analyzing financial information to produce forecasts of business, industry, and economic conditions for use in making investment decisions
• Maintaining knowledge and staying abreast of developments in the fields of industrial technology, business, finance, and economic theory
• Interpreting data affecting investment programs, such as price, yield, stability, future trends in investment risks, and economic influences
• Monitoring economic, industrial, and corporate developments through analysis of information obtained from financial publications and services, investment banking firms, government agencies, trade publications, company sources, and personal interviews
• Recommending investments and investment timing to companies, investment firm staff, or the investing public
• Determining the prices at which securities should be syndicated and offered to the public
• Preparing plans of action for investment based on financial analyses
• Evaluating and comparing the relative quality of various securities in a given industry
• Presenting oral and written reports on general economic trends, individual corporations, and entire industries