A market analyst provides individuals and businesses with specific information regarding financial investments or other information. Common market analyst jobs include stock market analysis, risk management, economic analysis, and statistical research. These positions focus on analyzing information related to individual stocks and other investments; financial and non-financial factors that can affect a company’s operations; monetary, fiscal, or business policies that will affect a firm’s decision-making process; and business-related statistics, such as those available for customer analysis.
Most market analyst jobs require a formal education, primarily an undergraduate degree from an accredited college or university. These degrees will often have a focus on business administration. Coursework will provide an overview of subjects like economics, human resources, and finance. To help further the focus on a particular segment of a market analyst jobs, individuals can select a specialization for a career position. For example, a risk management specialization provides more coursework on business risk, financial analysis, and management practices to prevent the interruption of operations from external factors.
Stock market analysis is a common market analyst position. These positions may have the least education specialization required, as much of the position is learned from actual experience. Banks, investment brokers, media companies, and private businesses will often use market analysts to review the stock market and provide insight on movements. This can involve reviewing individuals, companies, and overall economies, and how the stock market will react to changes in monetary or fiscal policy.
Risk management is one of the market analyst jobs that is primarily internal for most companies. These individuals must review internal and external factors that can significantly affect a company’s operations. External factors can include government regulation, shifts in consumer behavior, and increases in competition, as well as low availability of economic resources, and the inability to secure financial resources for new business opportunities. Internal factors relate to weak production methods, poorly trained employees, and misuse of company facilities.
Economic analysis is both a public and private sector position. In the public realm, market analyst jobs focus on setting economic policy and determining how the government’s actions will change the direction of a country’s economy. Private sector market analyst jobs focus on setting the right price for goods and services in order to maximize profits. This position will review economic resources and determine how they can reduce costs and increase their operational efficiency.
Statistical research is a position that is wide-ranging and can be found in a large number of industries. For example, the insurance, educational, manufacturing, and financial services industries use statistical research analysis. This job focuses on reviewing numbers and setting the right procedures to maximize operations or improve their financial bottom line.
