Job Profile Detail
Financial and investment analysts collect and analyze financial information such as economic forecasts, trading volumes and the movement of capital, financial backgrounds of companies, historical performances and future trends of stocks, bonds and other investment instruments to provide financial and investment or financing advice for their company or their company's clients. Their studies and evaluations cover areas such as takeover bids, private placements, mergers or acquisitions. Financial analysts are employed by a wide range of establishments throughout the private and public sectors, such as banks, brokerage houses, insurance companies, investment companies, manufacturing firms, trust companies, utility companies and underwriting firms. Investment analysts are employed primarily by brokerage houses and fund management companies.
Job Titles
- Assistant financial analyst
- Bond analyst
- Chartered financial analyst
- Corporate investment adviser
- Cost financial analyst
- Finance and commercial affairs analyst
- Financial analysis consultant
- Financial analyst
- Financial services economic analyst
- Financial services research associate
- Fiscal projections consultant
- Investment analyst
- Investment consultant
- Junior financial analyst
- Money market analyst
- Mutual fund analyst
- Portfolio manager
- Regional financial analyst
- Securities analyst
- Securities research analyst
- Senior financial analyst
- Senior investment officer
- Senior planning and return analyst
- Senior planning and yield analyst
Job Duties
1. Perform financial forecasting, reporting, and operational metrics tracking
2. Analyze financial data and create financial models for decision support
3. Report on financial performance and prepare for regular leadership reviews
4. Analyze past results, perform variance analysis, identify trends, and make recommendations for improvements
5. Work closely with the accounting team to ensure accurate financial reporting
6. Evaluate financial performance by comparing and analyzing actual results with plans and forecasts
7. Guide the cost analysis process by establishing and enforcing policies and procedures
8. Provide analysis of trends and forecasts and recommend actions for optimization
9. Recommend actions by analyzing and interpreting data and making comparative analyses; study proposed changes in methods and materials
10. Identify and drive process improvements, including the creation of standard and ad-hoc reports, tools, and Excel dashboards
11. Increase productivity by developing automated reporting/forecasting tools
12. Perform market research, data mining, business intelligence, and valuation comps
13. Maintain a strong financial analysis foundation creating forecasts and models
14. Proficiency with Microsoft Excel is mentioned in virtually any financial analyst job description; familiarity with data query/data management tools is extremely helpful (Access, SQL, Business Objects)
Education Requirement
1. A bachelor's degree in commerce, business administration or economics and on-the-job training and industry courses and programs are usually required.
2. A master's degree in business administration (MBA) (concentration in finance) or in finance may be required.
3. The Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation, available through a program conducted by the Institute of Chartered Financial Analysts in the United States, may be required by some employers.
3 to 12 years experience required 
61,435 CAD to 85,000 CAD P.A. 
Canada
