What keeps sell-side analysts busy?
Wait, they don't just do research?!
Last time, we discussed the gap between what equity research offers and what public investors expect from the sell-side. Though the hours are more manageable than investment banking, equity research is a demanding job and the hours exceed those on the buy-side.
So, what keeps research analysts so busy? What are they spending their time on?
Adding value to investors
Earnings season is a major part of the equity research life. During those periods, research teams are intensely analyzing results, updating numbers quickly, re-forecasting, and producing new target prices while writing earnings notes. Things all have to be finished right away because tomorrow fast-money clients want to “talk numbers.” (ie. what can they trade on)