Fri, 18 May 2012 23:17:44 -0500WeeblySat, 31 Dec 2011 12:28:23 -0500http://www.myfinanceinterview.com/1/post/2011/12/what-really-caused-the-eurozone-crisis.htmlThe BBC has a good article that explains the impact of private debt vs. government debt on the macro environment.  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-16301630 ]]>Wed, 19 Oct 2011 20:10:17 -0500http://www.myfinanceinterview.com/1/post/2011/10/what-is-a-carry-trade.html

]]>Mon, 10 Oct 2011 10:59:58 -0500http://www.myfinanceinterview.com/1/post/2011/10/what-is-the-difference-between-proven-probable-and-possible-reserves.htmlFirst, reserves are the quantities of oil that are anticipated to be commercially recoverable. Unrecoverable quantities of oil are referred to as contingent resources and prospective Resources.

Proved reserves are the quantities of oil that can be estimated with reasonable certainty to be commercially recoverable.

Probable reserves are the additional reserves that are less likely to be recovered than proved reserves.

Possible reserves are the additional reserves that are less likely to be recoverable than probable reserves. ]]>Thu, 10 Mar 2011 22:17:06 -0500http://www.myfinanceinterview.com/1/post/2011/03/what-is-the-pecking-order-theory.htmlTo finance internal projects, preference is given to internal funds first, followed by debt and then equity as a last resort. Note however that high risk sectors, such as high tech, prefer to raise equity over using debt financing.
]]>Wed, 02 Mar 2011 18:15:58 -0500http://www.myfinanceinterview.com/1/post/2011/03/what-is-the-difference-between-coking-coal-and-thermal-coal.htmlCoking (metallurgical) coal is used in steel making and thermal (steam) coal is used in power generation. Have a look at this webpage for more details: http://www.homelandenergygroup.com/s/Coal.asp?ReportID=338859&_Title=Comment-on-Coking-Coal-vs-Thermal-Coal ]]>Tue, 22 Feb 2011 03:00:00 -0500http://www.myfinanceinterview.com/1/post/2011/02/what-influences-the-price-of-copper.htmlThe price of copper is mainly influenced by the supply and demand for the metal. On the demand side, copper correlates to the economy because it’s used as a building material and used in manufacturing wires and pipes. When the economy is growing, copper prices tend to rise and when the economy is slowing, the price of copper usually drops. On the supply side, any interruption in copper production could result in price spikes. ]]>Thu, 17 Feb 2011 21:57:52 -0500http://www.myfinanceinterview.com/1/post/2011/02/how-to-prepare-for-an-equity-research-interview.htmlRead the newspaper (or a financial website) daily:

• Prepare to talk about a recent M&A deal. Bonus points if the deal is in your sector. Also, form an opinion on whether the deal is in the interest of the shareholders or not.
• The more you read the paper the easier it will become to discuss macro economic themes, which is crucial for any finance interview.
• Monitor how the major companies in your sector have been performing. Did the earnings beat the street?  Is the outlook strong? Any sector wide challenges/issues?

Prepare to talk about specific companies:

• The most common question is: what would you buy?
• Discuss specific catalysts and macro themes.
• Bonus points if you can identify reasons to buy a specific stock that are not well-known to investors yet.

Form an opinion on where gold, oil and the U.S. dollar are heading:

• Keep in mind that there is no wrong or right answer.
• It’s all about your reasoning. You should support your answer with facts and analysis.
• In most cases the interviewer will take the opposite side of the argument. Again, no wrong or right answer, so don’t back down.

Some points to keep in mind:

• This might be a bit difficult at first, but always distinguish fact from opinion. Analyse the facts to arrive at an opinion.
• Smile. You are selling your analysis and opinion. A smile shows that you are confidant and comfortable with your answers and you enjoy chatting about finance in general.

]]>Tue, 15 Feb 2011 03:00:00 -0500http://www.myfinanceinterview.com/1/post/2011/02/why-do-want-to-work-in-equity-research.htmlWhether your aim is to work in equity research or you’re interested in any finance position, you should have a good reason for applying for the position you’re interviewing for.
In the case of equity research, mention your non-finance work experience as a reason to focus on the sector you’re interviewing for. Also, you could use a specific class or course that helped you prepare for this position.
One way to look at equity research vs. investment banking is that as an equity research analyst/associate:

• You only have access to public information, which makes the job interesting.
  
• You get to talk to suppliers, customers and competitors of your coverage universe.
  
• You focus on one sector and eventually become an expert in that sector.
  

On the other hand, as an investment banking associate/analyst:

• You get to work with companies directly and you could have access to material non-public information.
  
• You work on many deals with different scopes.
  
• You work on companies from different sectors.
  

Just do your research before you head to an interview and have couple reasons on why you picked this position over another one. Saying that you’ll get to apply your finance skills might not be enough, because you could apply them whether you work in equity research or in investment banking. ]]>Tue, 08 Feb 2011 03:00:00 -0500http://www.myfinanceinterview.com/1/post/2011/02/where-would-you-invest-a-million-dollars.htmlMost people answer this question by recommending one stock. Then they'd go through a list of why they recommend this stock. That is not the intent of this question. The interviewer is testing your portfolio management skills. Here is a better way to go about answering this question:
 1- Tell the interviewer that this is a portfolio management question. Ask who is this for, someone young, retired or in between. Then make a point about the level of risk they could take.
 2- Build a proper portfolio with asset diversification in mind. For example: someone who is young could invest 30% of their portfolio in small cap U.S. equities, 30% in global equities, 20% in blue chip, and 20% in bonds. Someone who's retired would invest in safer instruments with yield, like bonds and dividend paying, large cap stocks.
 3- Stress that asset class and geographic diversification is important and that the composition of the portfolio depends on the age and circumstances of the investor.
]]>Tue, 01 Feb 2011 03:00:00 -0500http://www.myfinanceinterview.com/1/post/2011/02/what-are-the-different-disciplines-of-security-analysis.htmlFundamental, quantitative and technical.
 Fundamental analysis examines business conditions and financial statements. You can either use bottom up analysis or top down analysis.
 Quantitative analysis uses mathematical concepts, such as statistics, calculus and probability.
 Technical analysis uses historical data including price and volume to forecast future price.
 Equity research analysts focus on the long term outlook and thus they use fundamental analysis.
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