Ask a Wall Street Analyst anything

I work buy-side covering TMT Large-Cap US Equities, based in New York.

Ask me anything you'd like, I normally lurk r9k, g, lit, and ck.

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How's life outside of work?

How did you get your job? Could you share what you think gave you the advantage above the other applicants?

It's good, outside certain industries hours in finance can be very manageable. People here do manage to raise kids and families, so there is always a good balance if you can get your work done on time.

I'm a recluse by New York standards, but I still find time to hang out with friends on weekends or go out to dinner.

I was recruited in college, have been doing the same stuff since (5-6 years out).

what does tmt stand for?

salary/compensation/growth?

how do you feel about tastytrade?

Why do you lurk r9k?

Thoughts on apple? 10P/E now. And its incredibly cheap. But the charts are broken for it.

what college did you go to?

Technology, Media, Telecom. I don't know what tastytrade is.

It's more out of habit, it has been kind of unbearable lately. Used to be good a few years ago.

I happen to have a disliking for highly volatile tech stocks because their valuation is really a crapshoot at best. I think someone emailed me an article that 80% of "tech" gains are in the new "media" companies --> FB, TWTR, etc. For apple, the high cash on their balance sheet is kind of a problem item to me; I don't know what they are going to do with it because it is locked up in ireland, and they don't really need to spent it anyway. It screws up all their DCF valuation.

I actually prefer older companies like semiconductors, cisco, that are easier to analyze.

I'm actually originally from New York, but I went to a top college in the South.

You buy the dip?

What was your major and GPA?

Have an opinion on netflix?

How much of your own money is in the market?

Thoughts on MGT?

what do you think about the lithium market currently.

Better yet what do you think of GALXF/GXY because that is what he meant.

>Better yet what do you think of GALXF/GXY because that is what he meant.

add Albemarle (ALB) to that as well :)

I'm actually not in charge of a portfolio, just recommendations currently. We are not macro-focused, so a dip may make stocks we are interested in cheaper (and candidates for purchase), but we don't have the carte blanche to invest in market patterns as we see fit.

Economics, 3.7

See It's a conflict of interest for me to invest concurrently with professional responsibilities, so besides retirement funds, none.

Can't say I know too much about these as they're outside my sector of expertise. For professional analysts and investors, you stick to your area of expertise and that's where you add value. Some fundamentals of analysis are the same, and you do see people switch sectors over years, but very few people you'll meet are capable of taking a glance at the industry/stock and delivering a well thought-out investment recommendation.

Lithium prices have been rising and I've been tracking that related to batteries, but the technology curve seems to be developing more rapidly than the increase in cost, so no worries for now.

how many companies do you research a day? where do you look for companies?

do you consistently beat the market average

Fellow Econ major checking in. What skills would you recommend I improve/acquire before graduating? Currently in CC and plan on transferring Fall 2017.

What is a big short and how do i invest in it?

Shut the fuck up and fucking give us stock tips you gigantic cuntfaggot.

Do you guys not watch movies, any advice this guy gives you will definitely be misleading and will directly benefit himself and himself only . No ones handing out free lunch tickets .

>Lithium prices have been rising and I've been tracking that related to batteries

I am watching PCRFY and thinking about entering when under 7,50 - what are your thoughts about it and the company in general.

Really hard to find people interested in analysis of that sector here on Veeky Forums, so looking forward to it.

Lel

AUM?

Have you gained real world skills you could use outside your job or is just bullshitty stuff (like a research analyst saying buy / hold / sell)? Are you investing investors' money?

Is now the time to buy silver?

Do you think there will be a major correction or crash this year?

We have the Brexit decision in June, elections in US and June, China economy issues and the housing bubble at the moment in few countries.

Sorry for the late replies, here are answers:

It really depends on the day. In addition to screening new stocks, I also have to keep updated on the ones in our portfolio to see whether we should enter or perhaps overweight.

There are a couple places we look for stocks. First off, we are limited by the kind of portfolio - in this case, Large-Cap US Equities, specific to TMT for me. I tend to have a good knowledge of this space (it's what I'm paid for), so I am familiar with most of the stocks in this space or industry. If I see news or hear about impending changes, it'll be a good time to look at a stock.

Also researching comparables and competitors can lead me to find a stock better than the one I'm currently looking at.

We also have a proprietary excel tool that basically pulls all of our investment universe from B-berg and Factset, and identifies stocks that would be "cheap" based on our multiples.

It varies by week, but I try and look at 3-5 stocks a day with a deep-dive. If I'm hunting for investment ideas the number can be much higher.

Yes, gross and net of fees.

Strong excel, understanding of accounting is a must. One of the most underrated skills in finance is being likable, so it really helps if you're networking to be a genuine and likeable guy.

We actually don't invest in ADR's because they can be complex to value and don't follow US accounting and tax standards - some mandates also forbid investing in them.

If someone walked into my office and asked my opinion, here's what I would tell them:

I am leery of investing in Japanese companies because their business standards and long-term outlook simply don't align with US perspectives on delivering value to shareholders. This especially is the case with these large business conglomerates - zaibatsus - which often encompass multiple industries and can even have competing divisions.

(cont).

In the 80's and 90's, the Japanese were notorious for purchasing complex derivatives linked to standard commercial paper - in layman's terms, they would book all the interest profits from a bond immediately while delaying the repayment of principal (loss) for 20 or 30 years. I have always wondered when this would hit their books, but their accounting standards are so lax that one can never be sure.

Around 10B

Yes, for the most part. I wouldn't say you're learning how to change the oil in a car, but understanding how companies actually function and can increase their value to a shareholder is a good skill to have. As a buy-side research analyst, my research isn't published, and my recommendations go directly to the PM who then invests the money. At higher levels of seniority, I will start to make the investment allocations myself.

See I am in favor of crash. US stock market is notorious for reflecting growth that isn't there, and while recent numbers have been somewhat favorable (consumer sales), I think we have a larger structural problem that hasn't been resolved. We are slower and less competitive than other companies globally, and we see this in bottom line numbers.

I'm actually a big fan of financial and economic history, so this stuff is one of the reasons why I enjoy my job.

Any tips for moving from sell side IB research to buy side?

Any sub-$10 stock recommendations?

are there any companies worth looking into? on your watchlist or already long.

Are people on Wall street nervous about the US/global economy,Trump/Hilary etc whats the mood?

Opinion on Austrian Economics? I've heard a lot of people on Wall Street tend to follow those principles.

scratch that just read a reply in other post.

where do you see yourself in 10 years ?

Thanks for the prompt reply. Do you have an estimate time/date when you think a crash might happen this year?

If you lost everything (interpret that however you like) overnight. What would you do in the morning?

Where can I buy that sandwich? It looks delicious.

I actually started on the buy-side, so I don't have too much experience in the transition. For the candidates we interview (turnover is pretty low and I don't conduct the interviews), they seem to come through headhunters and the more respected SS brokers. We pay for Bernstein and Evercore research among others, and they always have good stuff - I would imagine a sell-side analyst there was equal or better than a buy-side equivalent.

Sorry, not a good idea for me to disclose.

Economy of course, politics is more idle conversation. We're more worried about industry trends (everyone shifting money into passive) in the short run.

I've actually never heard of this referred to by name, but a lot of the principles seem to be core economics, which I agree with but actually don't use that much besides thinking about how consumers will behave, which is more common sense anyway.

Probably doing the same thing, albeit with a better paycheck and probably a family. I like what I do, the hours are manageable, the pay is good, location is good. Nothing to complain about.

The summer is always rough. I would be surprised if August wasn't really rough this year again.

That's an interesting question. The things I value the most are my family and having a place to sleep and eat at night - I don't really care for watches or cars or whatever; beyond dressing what's appropriate for work.

I'd probably just try and get back on my feet. Stay with my friend, get a job, rebuild my assets and my security. Wouldn't go on a soul-searching journey in NZ, as tempting as it is.

Bacon, Egg, and cheese in New York. Can be found in the tri-state area.

It's one of the serious reasons I wouldn't work anywhere other than New York, this is breakfast every day. I had withdrawal when I went to school in the South.

nytimes.com/2015/04/15/dining/dont-mess-with-my-breakfast-sandwich.html?_r=0

I am about to start working for a large endowment of a renowned university. While this is technically a buy-side job, I am a bit worried about my transition chances after my 2 years as an analyst. I dont want to limit myself to the endowment space.

What are my chances to make a switch to a regular fund after 2 years? Any advice?

Also: top GMAT and GPA and about to complete the CFA after just 18 months. Would like to avoid going back to school for an MBA.

>but I went to a top college in the South.
which one? Only good colleges in the south that come to mind are Rice, UT Austin and Duke, or am I forgetting one?

Emory, Georgia Tech., Virginia

Okay, forgot about GTech and Emory, but i wouldn't consider Virginia to be a southern state, i'd say that NC is the cut-off, also UVA & VTech aren't really top tier schools.

Virginia is the South. And Uni of Virginia is top tier in some of their programs... ... your post made me think... There are no top tier schools in the entire state of Florida? Here in California we have Stanford, CalTech, Berkeley, HMU, ... and other top tiers... but it is strange to think of an entire state without ... maybe Nevada and arizona are also without top tiers.

And Virginia's Econ program is top tier... or it was... I used to care about that shit when I was in college.. then you get to the real world and no one gives a shit. Just college kids and academic snobs in their fake reality. In the real world only skills matter... a top tier will get you into the door but the rest is up to you.

I mean there are a few decent schools in states like FL, and other states in the South but there certainly aren't many - only decent one that I can think of in FL is University of Florida, and that's nothing spectacular.

For the most part, all the top schools in the US are either in Cali or the east coast New England kind of area. Nevada has practically no universities at all, only one I know of is the state one in Reno.

Wasn't aware of UVA's econ program, but either way, when I think of top tier universities, I guess what i'm really thinking of is elite universities - Ivies and equivalent - but you're right, the name will only get you through the door.

Let's say i'm a young fella with a B.E in Engineering and a beautiful, long track record as a private trader.
Would it be realistic for me to become a prop trader (not a quant)?

Most people would consider Vandy the best in the South I think. Wake Forest is also quite good.

forgot about Vanderbilt, but yeah, now that you mention it, Vanderbilt or Rice are probably the two best in the South.

Any tips in first time investors?