Typical Day

One of the most interesting aspects of our business, trading stock, is variety, owing to continuous information changes and the equity markets’ interpretation of it. That said there is some consistency to the structure of my workday and the seasonality of my work. Each day begins with a morning meeting at 7:30, in which equity research analysts, salespeople, and traders establish the day’s trading strategies. The meeting allows us to match buyers with sellers of stocks we believe will trade actively throughout the day and typically lasts thirty minutes.

Thereafter, my day can unfold in several ways. During earnings season, when companies we cover report quarterly results, I help John Henderson, the equity analyst with whom I work, quickly determine how investors likely will respond to a company’s results and relay that interpretation to our traders. I then assist in updating our financial model, operating and financial estimates, DCF analysis, share price target and stock rating for the company, and writing a more formal interpretation of the results for publication and distribution to clients the following morning.

Outside earnings season, I could find myself assisting a client research one of the companies in our sector, preparing my analyst for presentations to institutional investor clients, writing a sector report, or attending investor conferences or luncheons.

Whatever the case, the challenging work and the fast pace keep the days interesting.