<p>India’s stock market has come a long way in the last decade. The number of people investing in shares and mutual funds is continuously rising.</p>.<p>Various avenues are available to people willing to invest their money. Every investment carries some risk and reward. Equities are considered riskier, though the rewards may be higher than most investments. When somebody makes a bank fixed deposit or buys a bond, she is assured of a fixed rate of return for the given duration.</p>.<p>This is not the case with equities. A stock's price often fluctuates minute by minute owing to various factors. Market sentiment is one of them. Growth projections, geo-political situations, economic developments, etc., influence it.</p>.<p>Equity research involves analysing the performance and potential of companies to find out whether investing in their stock would be profitable. This analysis considers external and internal factors affecting a company’s performance. Individual investors and investment companies (FIIs and others) use the research outcome to buy or sell equities to maximise profit or cut losses.</p>.<p>Equity researchers also study specific sectors to identify the ones likely to grow, falter and remain static. Sectorial analysis may cover steel, textiles, cement, information technology, healthcare, telecommunication, pharmaceuticals, banking, insurance, infrastructure etc. Thus, equity researchers track the economy's growth, sectors, and companies. Financial modelling and technical analysis are widely used in equity research. Data analytics, artificial intelligence and machine learning are also gaining momentum in this sector.</p>.<p><strong>Academic programmes</strong></p>.<p>Equity research is a career in the finance domain. Commerce graduates, postgraduates, chartered accountants, and financial analysts may opt for this profession. MBA or PGDM qualifications with a specialisation in finance are well accepted for the role of equity researchers.</p>.<p>Talking of focused programmes, the National Institute of Securities Market has a full-time postgraduate programme in Investments and Securities Market. Another postgraduate programme in the Securities Market (Portfolio Management/Investment Advisory/Research Analysis) is conducted on weekends and is aimed at working professionals.</p>.Why real estate outshines gold and stocks as a long-term investment.<p>Bombay Stock Exchange Institute conducts a postgraduate programme in Financial Markets, an MBA in Securities Markets and a postgraduate diploma in Global Financial Markets. Its other programmes include undergraduate courses, such as BMS in Capital Markets, BCM-Banking and Financial Services Analytics, and BBA in Financial Markets, as well as certifications, such as Certified Investment and Stock Market Expert and Certified Market Analyst Programme. Various other institutes and universities too have similar courses.</p>.<p>Those with qualifications in economics, statistics, big data analytics or data science may choose to work with any entity handling data and thus be eligible to become equity researchers.</p>.<p><strong>Where do jobs lie?</strong></p>.<p>The most prominent employer of equity researchers is mutual funds. Mutual fund companies pool funds from investors and put them in promising stocks. They keep churning their portfolio by selling when the markets are high and buying at lower prices. This way, they try to appreciate the value of assets managed by them. A large number of domestic and foreign mutual funds are operating in India.</p>.<p>Foreign and domestic Institutional investors are big operators in the stock market and have a team of equity researchers. Work opportunities are also available with broking houses and securities firms like SBI Capital Markets, Stock Holding Corporation of India, ICICI Securities, Kotak Securities, etc. App-based platforms Sharekhan, Zerodha, Groww, and Upstox, too, need equity researchers. You may also take up a wealth management advisory role.</p>.<p>Equity researchers usually work in the treasury and investment departments of banks. Working with investment bankers is much sought after.</p>.<p>Suppose the work of equity research fascinates you, and you don’t have exact qualifications like the above but are good with numbers. In that case, you may seek an internship opportunity in equity research to leverage the knowledge gained for a regular career in this area. You may apply in response to advertised intern vacancies if there are any.</p>.<p>However, there is no harm in expressing your interest in an internship with companies involved in equity research. Even for regular roles, it’s good to apply and submit your resume on the career page of such companies, as most recruitments happen via this mode or through LinkedIn job postings. In print media, you will rarely see advertisements for equity researchers.</p>.<p>In equity research, experience matters a lot. After spending some time, based on your good performance, you may move to bigger companies. Also, you may be offered the role of a fund manager or head of research. The nature of the work of an equity researcher is amenable to working from home. Many equity researchers use their knowledge and exposure to invest their money in shares. However, care should be taken not to mix the professional and personal boundaries.</p>.<p>Equity researcher, equity analyst and equity research analyst are similar positions with no difference in job roles. In this career, one may find opportunities to work with global companies like Nomura, Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan Chase, etc.</p>
<p>India’s stock market has come a long way in the last decade. The number of people investing in shares and mutual funds is continuously rising.</p>.<p>Various avenues are available to people willing to invest their money. Every investment carries some risk and reward. Equities are considered riskier, though the rewards may be higher than most investments. When somebody makes a bank fixed deposit or buys a bond, she is assured of a fixed rate of return for the given duration.</p>.<p>This is not the case with equities. A stock's price often fluctuates minute by minute owing to various factors. Market sentiment is one of them. Growth projections, geo-political situations, economic developments, etc., influence it.</p>.<p>Equity research involves analysing the performance and potential of companies to find out whether investing in their stock would be profitable. This analysis considers external and internal factors affecting a company’s performance. Individual investors and investment companies (FIIs and others) use the research outcome to buy or sell equities to maximise profit or cut losses.</p>.<p>Equity researchers also study specific sectors to identify the ones likely to grow, falter and remain static. Sectorial analysis may cover steel, textiles, cement, information technology, healthcare, telecommunication, pharmaceuticals, banking, insurance, infrastructure etc. Thus, equity researchers track the economy's growth, sectors, and companies. Financial modelling and technical analysis are widely used in equity research. Data analytics, artificial intelligence and machine learning are also gaining momentum in this sector.</p>.<p><strong>Academic programmes</strong></p>.<p>Equity research is a career in the finance domain. Commerce graduates, postgraduates, chartered accountants, and financial analysts may opt for this profession. MBA or PGDM qualifications with a specialisation in finance are well accepted for the role of equity researchers.</p>.<p>Talking of focused programmes, the National Institute of Securities Market has a full-time postgraduate programme in Investments and Securities Market. Another postgraduate programme in the Securities Market (Portfolio Management/Investment Advisory/Research Analysis) is conducted on weekends and is aimed at working professionals.</p>.Why real estate outshines gold and stocks as a long-term investment.<p>Bombay Stock Exchange Institute conducts a postgraduate programme in Financial Markets, an MBA in Securities Markets and a postgraduate diploma in Global Financial Markets. Its other programmes include undergraduate courses, such as BMS in Capital Markets, BCM-Banking and Financial Services Analytics, and BBA in Financial Markets, as well as certifications, such as Certified Investment and Stock Market Expert and Certified Market Analyst Programme. Various other institutes and universities too have similar courses.</p>.<p>Those with qualifications in economics, statistics, big data analytics or data science may choose to work with any entity handling data and thus be eligible to become equity researchers.</p>.<p><strong>Where do jobs lie?</strong></p>.<p>The most prominent employer of equity researchers is mutual funds. Mutual fund companies pool funds from investors and put them in promising stocks. They keep churning their portfolio by selling when the markets are high and buying at lower prices. This way, they try to appreciate the value of assets managed by them. A large number of domestic and foreign mutual funds are operating in India.</p>.<p>Foreign and domestic Institutional investors are big operators in the stock market and have a team of equity researchers. Work opportunities are also available with broking houses and securities firms like SBI Capital Markets, Stock Holding Corporation of India, ICICI Securities, Kotak Securities, etc. App-based platforms Sharekhan, Zerodha, Groww, and Upstox, too, need equity researchers. You may also take up a wealth management advisory role.</p>.<p>Equity researchers usually work in the treasury and investment departments of banks. Working with investment bankers is much sought after.</p>.<p>Suppose the work of equity research fascinates you, and you don’t have exact qualifications like the above but are good with numbers. In that case, you may seek an internship opportunity in equity research to leverage the knowledge gained for a regular career in this area. You may apply in response to advertised intern vacancies if there are any.</p>.<p>However, there is no harm in expressing your interest in an internship with companies involved in equity research. Even for regular roles, it’s good to apply and submit your resume on the career page of such companies, as most recruitments happen via this mode or through LinkedIn job postings. In print media, you will rarely see advertisements for equity researchers.</p>.<p>In equity research, experience matters a lot. After spending some time, based on your good performance, you may move to bigger companies. Also, you may be offered the role of a fund manager or head of research. The nature of the work of an equity researcher is amenable to working from home. Many equity researchers use their knowledge and exposure to invest their money in shares. However, care should be taken not to mix the professional and personal boundaries.</p>.<p>Equity researcher, equity analyst and equity research analyst are similar positions with no difference in job roles. In this career, one may find opportunities to work with global companies like Nomura, Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan Chase, etc.</p>