Building a Successful Career as a Stock Market Analyst: Know skills and education required

Stock market analysts are individual researchers who examine a company’s financial data and help companies in making strategic investments. These investments should be made for the betterment of the company and to generate more profit from the stock market for themselves. The career as a stock market analyst in India is quite bright and has immense opportunities with a high salary.  Sooraj Singh Gurjar Founder and Managing Director, of Get Together Finance (GTF) in a conversation with Republic World has shared the important things to know for an aspirant to become a stock market analyst.

What is a stock market analyst?

A stock market analyst is an expert who critically analyzes the company's financial data and investments. They help companies make strategic investments in the future by helping them analyze their customers and suppliers. There are two main types of stock market analysts:

1. Sell-side analysts: These analysts’ work for brokerage firms or investment banks to offer one-on-one advice to banks.

2. Buy-side analysts: The analysts work for mutual fund brokers, fund managers, or any other small investment firm.

What are the skills Required to Become a stock market analyst in India?

The job role of a stock market analyst is quite typical and specific; it requires individuals with sheer focus and dedication. One of the greatest skills that a stock market analyst requires is intense research and analytical skills. To be a stock market analyst, one doesn’t necessarily need a degree in the same field, but the skills mentioned below are a must:

1. Market Research and Interpretation: A stock market analyst is required to analyze a huge amount of financial data about the company from various sources. To gather this data, top-notch research skills are required. Further, the collected data needs to be analyzed and interpreted for apt recommendations; this requires quality interpretation skills.

2. Advising: A stock market analyst needs to be a great advisor with strong logical reasoning capabilities. A company hires stock market analysts to help them make strategic investments. To fulfill this requirement, stock market analysts should have strong reasoning and advising skills to persuade the board members.

3. In-Depth Financial Knowledge: As said earlier, there is no specific degree mandatorily required to become a stock market analyst, but having knowledge about finance is mandatory. stock market analysts need to be thorough with all financial terms and trends in the financial market before making any interpretations for the company. They should be thorough with interest rates, investment trends, forecasting methods, and economic models.

4. Technical Skills: To streamline and ease their research and other job roles, stock markets should have management software and cloud systems from the company. These require technical skills that can help them analyze accounts, investments, balance sheets, or other financial instruments of the company in one go and without any errors.

5. Accounting: Having accounting skills can ease major work for stock market analysts; these skills will include major accounting principles, calculating budgets, and managing cash flow.

What are the qualifications required to become a stock market analyst in India?

1. Complete your 10+2 and bachelor's: Initially, every career requires you to complete schooling and gain a certain degree. The first step towards becoming a stock market analyst is also the same. For ease in the future as a stock market analyst, pursuing these degrees might help:

2. B.A in Economics

3. BBA in Finance

4. B.com or B.com (Hons.)

5. B.Stat (Bachelor of Statistics)

6. BBA (General)

7. M.Sc. in Mathematics

2. Post-Graduation and Work Experience: After bachelor’s; you have two options to become a stock market analyst: gain work experience or pursue higher studies. Work experience gives you practical knowledge of the field. On the contrary, pursuing higher studies provides you with an opportunity to gain conceptual knowledge. If you want to pursue a master’s degree, here are some courses that you should consider if you want to be a stock market analyst:

3. M.A in Economics

4. MBA in Finance

5. M.Com

6. M.Stat (Master of Statistics)

7. MBA (General)

8. M.Sc. in Mathematics

9. C.F.A

Stock market analyst is a great and reputed profession with high job security and a promising salary. It can be said that one doesn’t primarily need to be from a finance background to be a stock market analyst. They can start by taking some courses and learning the core skills required to become a stock market analyst. Being a stock market analyst can help you earn anywhere in the world and give you the opportunity to learn every single day of the job.

(Disclaimer: Views expressed are personal.)