Financial Analyst

QUALIFICATIONS

A Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration (BBA) in finance, business administration, public administration, or a related field, or a Bachelor’s degree in engineering accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET); A Master’s degree – MBA Finance would be an added plus; along with Financial Analyst study programs or related certifications like the Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Certified Financial Analyst (CFA), Chartered Financial Consultant (CFC), Chartered Investment Planner (CIP), Financial Modeling & Valuation Analyst (FMVA), Certified Banking & Credit Analyst (CBCA), Capital Markets & Securities Analyst (CMSA), etc.; encompassing at least 4-year requisite study and practice credit hours in the area or field of financial analysis and management; combined with – On the Job Training (OJT) programs, Apprenticeships, Financial Analyst Workforce Job Training or Experience; covering work topics including finance, financial planning fundamentals, concepts and principles, financial metrics and ratios, accounting and ethics, taxation, tax planning/ optimization and management, Investment planning and allocation, risk mitigation and asset management, wealth creation, business economics, stock and bond markets, Return on Equity (ROE), Return on Investment (ROI), business & interest cycle, business math, funds management, processes, MIS & Computer applications, measurement metrics and indicators, statistical analysis & reporting etc.

AVERAGE ANNUAL PAY
(Credits: www.payscale.com)

PROJECTED GROWTH
(Credits: www.bls.gov)

Financial Analyst is an exciting career pathway, in which employment is expected to grow at an average of 3 percent from 2019 to 2029.

SKILLS/ TRAITS NEEDED

Financial Analysts must be research-oriented, tech-savvy, with deep financial knowledge & literacy of economics, investments, & finance products, intellectual curiosity, adaptability, a “hands-on” approach coupled with strong analytical, problem-solving, critical thinking, numerical, mathematical & computation skills; with ability to analyze, assimilate, interpret & understand financial statements, data & information, for accurate financial reporting; with expertise in financial modeling, technical and fundamental analysis, financial ratios and metrics, variance analysis & forecasting techniques; self-motivated, ethical, transparent, accountable with impeccable integrity. They need to be “always switched on”, with strong numerical acumen & networking skills; tracking current events, news & topics, maintain confidentiality, up-to-date with financial markets and economic trends, finance & economics, and communicate well with the various stakeholders; besides being proactive, people-centric with a cool temperament, resilience, memory, imagination, enthusiasm, trust, strong conviction, planning, and execution; coupled with strong decision-making, leadership, with excellent verbal & written communication and interpersonal/ soft skills; self-learning abilities, collaboration, team play & managerial skills; ability to motivate, train and mentor juniors, time management, people & stakeholder management, prioritization, presence of mind, creativity and innovation; an open mind with an aptitude for research, patience, persuasiveness, perseverance, persistence & presence. They must be detail-oriented & self-organized with a “can-do attitude” and a strong passion for their work.

WORK FUNCTIONS

Financial Analysts are usually associated with the financial services industry; those who build financial and valuations models, pore over, analyze & number-crunch financial information and data for financial reporting purposes; identifying financial trends, evaluating business decisions, outcomes, for proposing sound financial or investment recommendations. Using past & present financial data, they perform technical & fundamental analysis, prepare financial growth projections, dashboards & financial models, analyze and interpret financial performance, provide financial consulting, state financial outlook & forward-looking statements; besides formulating financial policies, using various techniques, tools and technologies; researching and studying in-depth – the fundamentals, micro & macro-economic indicators, financial ratios & metrics, etc.; to forecast and predict outcomes or present suitable reviews and provide investments recommendations, and cost analysis, yields for companies, enterprises, sectors, industries, leadership & management. Their recommendations come in handy for investment decision-making i.e. buying or selling company stocks, bonds, Futures & Options (F&O), etc. in the financial and stock markets. They keep abreast of the current events and variables affecting the conditions in the financial markets, and fundamentals of the companies or sectors; advising their clients – suitable buy, sell, hold strategies for wealth creation – generating profitability, Compounded Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) & a positive Return on Investments (ROI) on their investments. They may work independently or may work closely with the accounting teams, mainly in the financial services industry, credit rating agencies, or financial news media.