Coding for FICC & rates

Just interested to know more about the topic. On LinkedIn I've seen far too many analysts/associates at top AMs listing in their job description their coding skills in fixed income, rates derivatives (eg swaptions), currencies, and commodities valuation. I'm familiar with the products and how to value them using simple contrived examples on paper, but I don't know where to start with coding. 

I'm not from a quant background so I'm looking to strictly teach myself. Would really appreciate it if someone were to touch down on this topic. 


Edit. Lol why tf does this site include a US-midwest tag on every post? I'm based in London, also from a low-tier semi target.

3 Comments
 
Most Helpful

I'm just starting in AM now so take what I say with a grain of salt. 

I've seen a lot of job ads for AM research analyst roles (including my own) describe coding skills as desirable, although nobody I know on the buyside seems to actually be able to code that well. 

I get the impression that it's just because you're working with datasets and being able to code will obviously make your general data analysis much more efficient, but plenty of people seemingly get away with just having strong Excel skills. I personally know a bit of R, people tell me Python is more widely used but I think they're fairly interchangeable.

Anyone from a quanty background (econ, compsci, math, stats) should be more than capable of teaching themselves. There are plenty of free online courses, but I reckon after you get set up and know the basics the best way to learn is to just start using RStudio or whatever as your go to instead of Excel. 

 

Porro qui veritatis dolor ex ea dolores aut id. Enim natus eveniet fuga cupiditate accusamus. Et iusto blanditiis modi aspernatur error sed tempora doloribus. Quis nemo rerum ex non ea natus mollitia repellendus. Molestiae exercitationem rerum debitis laudantium quibusdam. Autem ipsa earum nemo nihil neque omnis. Qui qui sequi mollitia quod.

Career Advancement Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.3%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.2%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.3%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.7%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 98.3%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.7%
  • JPMorgan 01 97.2%

Total Avg Compensation

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (46) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (14) $159
  • 1st Year Analyst (80) $150
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (73) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
6
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
7
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
10
numi's picture
numi
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”