what is research analyst

A research analyst is a professional who prepares investigative reports on securities or assets for in-house or client use. They are also known as securities analysts, investment analysts, equity analysts, or rating analysts. Research analysts work at various companies, such as asset management companies, investment banks, insurance companies, hedge funds, and brokerages. They are responsible for researching, analyzing, interpreting, and presenting data related to markets, operations, finance/accounting, economics, and customers. Their work involves examining public records of securities of companies or industries and often concludes with a "buy," "sell," or "hold" recommendation. Research analysts are skilled in gathering, analyzing, and working with data to improve efficiency, profitability, and savings. They typically have strong math and statistics skills and use sophisticated data- driven mathematical models to derive useful information to help achieve business goals. The average base pay salary for a research analyst is $56,893, ranging anywhere between $40,000 and $84,000