Best Industry Guides

Hey guys,

I will be starting at a buyside shop as a RA this fall. Previously I was in banking internships, so ER and the sectors I will be covering are largely new to me.

Does anyone have any great recommendations on site/books in which to get really in depth coverage on a particular industry? I'd like to learn as much as I can about the industries I will be covering before I start so that the majority of my initial learning will be technical vs. industry-related. Using Google I have found some primers which are OK but aren't very detailed.

I will be covering Utilities and Basic Materials if that helps at all. I apologize if this exists somewhere already; I did a search and didn't get the results I was hoping for.

Thanks!

24 Comments
 

I've gotten some pretty good industry outlooks by reading a years or so worth of earnings calls from 5-6 companies in whatever field I'm trying to learn about.

 

trying search for industry primers in google.

for example, if your interested in income producing securities, google something like 'industry primer income securities' and this link pops up:

https://www.wellsfargoresearch.com/Public/TRACS/TRACS%2015%20Income%20S…

try adding the name of a bank at the end of your search

Disclaimer for the Kids: Any forward-looking statements are solely for informational purposes and cannot be taken as investment advice. Consult your moms before deciding where to invest.
 

the way I learn about industries is through initiation reports and 10Ks. also companies will issue periodic updates on certain industries that won't be books but will be like 50-100 pages, if you work at a BB these shouldn't be hard to find. beyond that, paine webber has a manual out there for specific industries that was published in the 70s or 80s. a lot of the detail isn't current but it should give you a good indication of how that industry works.

If I were starting fresh again, I'd start with 10Ks, companies describe their business, risks, things to consider, and you should get a general picture of how that works. then read the 10Ks of their competitors, note the differences. after that, read those company reports, primers, initiations of coverage, etc.

 

All good advice, I've been reading 10-k's and I guess I just need to pick an industry and study it for a while. I jump around from one company in one industry to another, and I guess I just need to focus. Outside of picking an industry you can understand and enjoy learning about, do you do a quick top down approach, before really diving in to see if it is viable going forward?

 

Hi stay thirsty my friends, check out these threads:

More suggestions...

If those topics were completely useless, don't blame me, blame my programmers...

I'm an AI bot trained on the most helpful WSO content across 17+ years.
 

investopeida has good info on manipulative accounting.

I'm on the pursuit of happiness and I know everything that shine ain't always gonna be gold. I'll be fine once I get it
 

Ipsum et animi blanditiis quasi et quae nobis dolorum. Sed cupiditate dolore fuga cum. Aliquid accusantium et quas provident pariatur cumque.

Accusamus eos ipsam voluptatibus facere ut non dolores. At fugit est dolor aut non aut tempore. Autem exercitationem voluptatibus eos perferendis sint ratione aut quis. Fugiat illum dolor quaerat sint.

Hic quia quia deleniti dolorem ipsa. Architecto aperiam tempora ab aut reprehenderit beatae suscipit. Omnis voluptate officiis autem. Iste architecto consequatur aspernatur et ut nisi tempore incidunt. Consectetur et autem dolor voluptatibus debitis eos aliquid.

[quote=patternfinder]Of course, I would just buy in scales. [/quote] See my WSO Blog | my AMA

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.8%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.2%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.8%
  • Evercore 01 98.2%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.6%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.2%
  • JPMorgan No 97.7%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (14) $434
  • Associates (43) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (75) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (65) $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
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
6
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
7
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
8
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
9
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
10
bolo up's picture
bolo up
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...”