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Some of the main sectors within equity analysis or equity research jobs include: oil and gas, industrials, metals and mining, retail, banks and financials, technology, pharmaceuticals and real estate companies. Equity researchers usually focus on one of these sectors, developing extensive knowledge of the prospects and financial stability of companies active within it. Using this knowledge, they give "buy," "hold" or "sell" recommendations, providing investors advice on what to do with their stock.

Equity researchers who are ranked well by external organizations such as Starmine and Institutional Investor magazine are the most highly prized.

Historically, equity researchers were usually required to write long written reports advising investors on whether to invest in a certain stock. These reports could be used by equity salespeople with investment banks and brokerage houses for their own sales and to help give investors information about which stocks to buy. At present, though, researchers are more often expected to discuss their ideas with investors and to take on more of a marketing position, working more closely with the sales department.

Though equity researchers and research associates are incredibly important for selling equity products, their position can be difficult because they do not generate profit directly. Because of this, they have been accused of prejudice, with some researchers in investment banks accused of writing falsely favorable reports about potential clients to help the bank win business in sectors like M&A and capital markets. To avoid this accusation, some researchers have moved to independent research houses. Also challenging, however, is that to produce a really good piece of research about a company, a researcher needs to have conversations with that company's top management, but senior management may not wish to talk to researchers who have composed unfavorable reports about the company previously.

Within the fixed income sector, researchers study the chances that the organization issuing a bond will be unable to repay it. Ratings agencies like Moody's, Standard &Poors and Fitch issue ratings suggesting the chances of repayment, with AAA rated bonds the safest for investments and C rated bonds unlikely to ever be repaid on time. Fixed income researchers in investment banks also make these judgments and over a career in research normally specialize in a single type of bond - either investment grade, which are the bonds likely to be repaid, or high yield or distressed bonds, where they are less likely to be repaid on time.