Financial analystA financial analyst is a professional undertaking financial analysis for external or internal clients as a core feature of the job. The role may specifically be titled securities analyst, research analyst, equity analyst, investment analyst, or ratings analyst. The job title is a broad one: In banking, and industry more generally, various other analyst-roles cover financial management and (credit) risk management, as opposed to focusing on investments and valuation.
Securities researchSecurities research is a discipline within the financial services industry about securities. Securities research professionals are known most generally as "analysts", "research analysts", or "securities analysts"; all the foregoing terms are synonymous. Research analysts produce research reports and typically issue a recommendation: buy ("overweight"), hold, or sell ("underweight"); see target price and trade idea.
Financial servicesFinancial services are economic services tied to finance provided by financial institutions. Financial services encompass a broad range of service sector activities, especially as concerns financial management and consumer finance.
Security (finance)A security is a tradable financial asset. The term commonly refers to any form of financial instrument, but its legal definition varies by jurisdiction. In some countries and languages people commonly use the term "security" to refer to any form of financial instrument, even though the underlying legal and regulatory regime may not have such a broad definition.Trade ideaTrade ideas (or trading ideas, or "Electronic Alpha-Capture") are investment ideas, typically equity related, ("long" i.e. buy, or "short" i.e. sell) which are sent by institutional stockbrokers to their institutional clients (i.e. this is not a service provided to private clients); recipients of trade ideas are thus hedge funds, a bank’s proprietary trading desks, and money managers.
Fundamental analysisFundamental analysis, in accounting and finance, is the analysis of a business's financial statements (usually to analyze the business's assets, liabilities, and earnings); health; competitors and markets. It also considers the overall state of the economy and factors including interest rates, production, earnings, employment, GDP, housing, manufacturing and management. There are two basic approaches that can be used: bottom up analysis and top down analysis.Overweight (stock market)Within the stock market, the term overweight can be used in two different contexts. A rating of a stock by a financial analyst as having better value for money than other stocks.
Technical analysisIn finance, technical analysis is an analysis methodology for analysing and forecasting the direction of prices through the study of past market data, primarily price and volume. As a type of active management, it stands in contradiction to much of modern portfolio theory.Underweight (stock market)In financial markets, underweight is a term used when rating stock by a financial analyst. A rating system may be three-tiered: "overweight," equal weight, and underweight, or five-tiered: buy, overweight, hold, underweight, and sell. Also used are outperform, neutral, underperform, and buy, accumulate, hold, reduce, and sell.Stock valuationStock valuation is the method of calculating theoretical values of companies and their stocks.
Markets in Financial Instruments Directive 2014Markets in Financial Instruments Directive 2014 (2014/65/EU, commonly known as MiFID 2) is a directive of the European Union (EU). Together with Regulation No 600/2014 it provides a legal framework for securities markets, investment intermediaries, in addition to trading venues. The directive provides harmonised regulation for investment services of the member states of the European Economic Area — the EU member states plus Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.