Journalism background in Equity Research?

I am a senior in undergrad, and I am looking to get into equity research. I have had interviews but no solid offer yet. I also have some interviews coming up for 6 month recent grad fellowships at leading financial news sites (think CNBC, Forbes, WSJ tier). I figured if I get one of those fellowship positions I could spend the summer getting my FINRA licenses and study for CFA level 1

I am currently a freelance video game journalist at a small news site, and I have had an internship writing articles and doing SEO for a financial career site (think WSO, CFI, M&I).

My major is international business and my minor is finance, and I have done equity research for my schools investment fund, I guess thats my most relevant ER experience, and I am currently doing a consulting internship.

For anyone currently in ER, do you see allot of people with journalism backgrounds? 

4 Comments
 

Writing is a big part of equity research. Yes, I have seen people with journalism background. I know a hall of famer analyst with an English background. 

Investigative journalism is hugely valuable in buy-side too because you will dig deep but deliver concisely, pretty much same thing as what deep research focused investors do (anyone can do the number really, you can always hire a banker type for the numbers, but it's the digging that delivers the key insights). 

 

you can always hire a banker type for the numbers, but it's the digging that delivers the key insights

Interesting that you would put it like that - I have an investigative background from being in corporate intelligence for a couple years (and only about a year in a banking role), and I just accepted an offer to start in equity research (on the sell-side). So that's motivating.

 

Just saying it's a very good background that is underrated because people assume finance / econ majors are the best. That said, it all comes to how good you are. 

Big hedge funds (knowingly Viking and Eminence) employ investigative journalists. Ruane Cundiff Goldfarb (long only long-term investor) houses Greg Steinmetz who at one point worked for Wall Street Journal. 

 

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