#PHSfit Career of the Day: Financial Analyst

Financial analysts evaluate investment opportunities. They work in banks, pension funds, mutual funds, securities firms, insurance companies, and other businesses. They are also called securities analysts and investment analysts. Financial analysts can be divided into two categories: buy side analysts and sell side analysts. Buy side analysts develop investment strategies for companies that have a lot of money to invest. These companies, called institutional investors, include mutual funds, hedge funds, insurance companies, independent money managers, and nonprofit organizations with large endowments, such as some universities. Sell side analysts advise financial services sales agents who sell stocks, bonds, and other investments. Some analysts work for the business media and are impartial, falling into neither the buy side nor the sell side. Financial analysts generally focus on trends affecting a specific industry, geographical region, or type of product. For example, an analyst may focus on a subject area such as the energy industry, a world region such as Eastern Europe, or the foreign exchange market. They must understand how new regulations, policies, and political and economic trends may affect investments.
http://www.bls.gov/ooh/business-and-financial/financial-analysts.htm