Financial Analysts collect and analyze financial information to help organizations make business decisions. They typically use a company’s financial statements (i.e. income statement, balance sheet and cash flow statements) to analyze its performance, and use financial ratios (e.g. profitability ratios, debt ratios) to compare it against another company or its own historical performance.
Demand for Financial Analysts is predicted to be stable.
Undergraduate degree typically required.
Office
Demand for Financial Analysts is predicted to be stable.
Undergraduate degree typically required.
Office
Collecting and analyzing financial information: Budgets, operations performance data, economic forecasts, trading volumes and cash flow are examined to provide advice for the company or the company’s clients.
Researching and modelling economic conditions and company fundamentals: Micro- and macroeconomic forecasts are used to make business, sector and industry recommendations and decisions.
Generally work independently: May also need to reach out to co-workers as sources of information.
While the core functions of the Financial Analyst are the same across all industries, the areas of focus typically differ inside and outside the corporate finance sector.
Typical Analyst roles in the corporate finance sector include:
Analyst roles outside of the corporate finance area include:
Financial Analysts generally engage in:
Compiling & Researching:
Data Modelling & Analysis:
Reporting & Data Interpretation:
Must-haves:
Nice-to-haves:
Entry-level positions typically require:
In the fields of:
More senior positions typically require:
In the fields of:
Employers in different segments may require candidates to possess one or more of these designations:
There are a number of pathways open to Financial Analysts through:
There are several external factors and environmental trends that can influence the demand and qualifications for this role:
Developments in these areas can reshape the entire financial services industry and create an even greater need for reliable, informative analysis about a company’s overall position and potential future performance.