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Tag: financial analyst certification

How Do You Prepare For A Financial Analyst Intern Interview?

Posted on by Imarticus Learning

An internship is an important experience for any student. It helps the student get clarity on what the field is about, and also gives a little experience before a full-time job. If you are a student of finance, internships can help shape your preferences. There are many options when it comes to finance-related internships since finance is the backbone of any business. You can get an edge on recent graduates, based on the internship you choose. Keep in mind the following factors before you apply and sit for a financial analyst intern interview.

Choosing the right company
If you do not have prior work experience, applying for an internship can be difficult at a reputed company. But do not worry. The company will not expect you to demonstrate an expert knowledge. However, they will expect you to know something about the company’s finances and business models. You can prepare for the interview by learning about the company properly beforehand.

Look for company analyst reports, along with the latest quarterly and annual reports. Check for any public information on the company as well, such as press releases and economic news articles. You can also check how the stock has performed in the last year, and whether it is making a profit or not.

Keep a track on the company heads and important financial staff, including the CEO of the company. You can also prepare some questions to ask the interviewer, which can help build a good opinion for you.

Trends in the finance industry
It is important to know about the industry in which you are thinking of making a career. Read up on the latest industry trends. Stay informed on the performance of the company, as compared to its competitors. It may be useful to follow up on the brand image of the company due to its advertisement campaigns. There may be some important technologies or recent trends which the company works on, and are interesting for you.

Mention your experience with the finances and technologies that you may have worked on in the past. Remember companies are always on the lookout for people who fit well into its system. This may help you to land a full-time job after your internship with the same company.

Prepare for the interview
Be ready to explain why you are interested in an internship with the company. You may also be asked why you are interested in a career in finance, about your specific interests, and how the internship can help further your career. Explain how you always have been interested in the field. Talk about stocks and bond markets and their basics. You can also take up a Financial Analyst Course and brush up the relevant concepts.

The financial analyst certification would definitely help you in the long run in your career. You can also check the price of the company’s stock on the day of the interview.

On the day of the interview, make sure to be on time. Preferably, you should reach some time before the interview. Maintain personal grooming and dress accordingly to the dress code that is being followed in the company. Most financial companies have a formal dress code usually but do check with the HR or receptionist before going for the interview. During the interview, try to answer the questions as precisely and directly as possible.

What Processes Do You Use To Create Financial Analysis Reports?

Posted on by Imarticus Learning

It is imperative for any financial professional to know the basics of effectively analyzing the financial statements of a company. This requires a thorough understanding of 3 important areas:

  1. The structure of the financial statements
  2. The characteristics, trends, and patterns of the economy of the industry which the firm belongs to
  3. Strategies of the company to differentiate itself from competitors.

A finance professional with financial analyst courses will be able to work his way through analyzing financial reports with effortless ease. However, the following six-step approach could help in developing an effective analysis of financial statements.

  1. Identify the economic traits of the industry

It is integral to undermine the value chain analysis of the industry- the chain of activities involved in creating, manufacturing and distribution of the products or services. Michael Porter’s Theory of Five Forces- Threat of New Entrants, Threat of substitutes, Bargaining power of Buyers, Bargaining power of suppliers, Competition could be used to analyze the economic climate of the industry.

  1. Identify and analyze the strategies of the company

It is important to look at the nature of the product/service being offered by the company. One should look at the uniqueness, exclusivity, level of profit margins, customer base, customer loyalty, and cost control measure. It is also important to look at the supply chain, logistics and geographic and industry diversification of the company.

  1. Measure and assess the quality of the firm’s financial statements

The financial statements of the company must be reviewed in accordance with the relevant accounting standards and the current economic climate of the country. Balance sheets must be assessed on the basis of valuation, classification, and recognition to get a proper evaluation. The balance sheet must represent the true and complete position of the company’s financial scenario. The income statement must be a complete representation of the company’s economic performance. The cash flow statements will reveal the impact of the firm’s liquidity position from the operation, investments and financial activities angle over a period of time. In a nutshell. The cash flow details where the funds came from, where they were spent and how the liquidity of the company was affected.  With a financial analyst certification, an experienced finance professional will be able to make a successful evaluation of these factors.

  1. Analyze the profitability and risk situation.

This is where a financial professional with a Financial Analyst certification can add value. With respect to profitability, two questions need to ask:

  • How profitable are the operations in relation to the assets
  • How profitable are the operations in relation to the equity shareholders?

It is important to identify potential risks, measure and assess their impact on profitability with the help of financial statement ratios relating to assets, debts, liquidity, etc. These ratios must be compared to earlier periods and also to the industry trends.

  1. Forecast financial statements

It is challenging, however, it is important to forecast with reasonable assumptions about the future of the firm. This should include the indicative figures of cash flows and income to the company in the coming financial year.

  1. Valuation of the company

The last step involves the valuation of the company. Although there are several methods, the discounted cash flow methodology is the most commonly used technique. Investments must be valued based on their future cash flows at a discounted rate. Methods such as relative valuation or accounting based measures could also be used. 

Once the analysis is complete and the financial statement made, there is one pertinent question to be answered- “Can these figures be trusted”. Several firms have faced accounting irregularities and it is up to a finance professional to understand these types of manipulation to perpetuate into the causes and find effective solutions. Financial Analysis courses train professionals who wish to specialize in analyzing financial reports to help companies make the right investments towards healthy growth. These courses will help Financial Controllers who are closely involved in the financial aspects of the organization.

For more information regarding this piece, you can also contact us on – info@imarticus.com or 1-800-267-7679 or can enquire us online through the Live Chat Support system or can visit our various training locations based in – Mumbai, Thane, Pune, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Delhi, Gurgaon, and Ahmedabad. 

How do Financial Analysts perform research?

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How do Financial Analysts perform research?

The research analysts cull data from financial statements of the company and PIB/ public information documents to value and estimate forward the companies’ growth and financial indices. They also manage investments, portfolios, funds and provide risk estimates.
Research methodology:
Investment Banking:
All data for financial analysis of public companies can be found in their filings and PIB documents.
A. Firstly the list of documents is created. They include:

  • General information like data available from  Bloomberg, Capital IQ,  FactSet, and others.
  • Annual report.
  • The Prospectus.
  • Form 10-Q.
  • Proxy company shareholders and shares statement.
  • Form 10-K.
  • Equity research sell-side reports.
  • Structure of ownership.
  • Company News over 6 months from PIB or website.

B. The next step is to create the profile including company overview, financial overview, market statistics, statements, projections, the performance of stock price, leadership and ownership details, products, and more to give a fair understanding of the company, its segment, performance over the year, important events, etc.
C. Specific information analysis is then conducted.
Ex: For acquisition analysis

  • Fit determination for industry, size, technology, etc.
  • Potential like personnel talent, growth prospects and so on.
  • Financial parameters like leverage, share dilution/accretion, market views, etc.
  • Legal constraints involved etc.

Once the idea has been vetted the availability of the target is considered.
Availability signs are

  • Owners looking to sell.
  • Under-performance.
  • Large capital needs.
  • Discontent among shareholders.
  • Lack of Management talent.

Lack of availability signs are

  • Insider control.
  • No liquidity needs.
  • Succession strategy being family or clear.
  • Majority share owner being a company benefited by holding.
  • Excellent financial parameters and performance.
  • The parent company is the best choice.

D. The last step is to create the financial models for the merger, LBO, DCF, prior records of transactions, comparable companies and such to suggest and explain a strategic purchase price.
Hedge Funds:
Here quantitative analyses are not very cumbersome and are mainly to determine the risk assessment and justify current market and stock prices.
Ex: While looking to value-invest in a company trading at six times the earnings P/E prices involves a lot of reading and inferences drawn from such reading of PIB. Based on such inferences one will justify not investing if reasons presented in the dissertation are

  • Options of restructuring are too late.
  • The rate of decline in costs is lower than the falling rate of revenues.
  • Insider shareholders selling.
  • Single-party control.
  • Decline in earnings
  • Negative perceptions in the market.
  • Reliance on revenue from governmental earnings.

The models required would be transactional and competitive and DCF if applicable.
Private-equity:
This is very similar to investment banking research process with the exception of financial indices of PE like yield from FCF and leverage.
On a concluding note, one can do financial analyst courses from a reputed institution like Imarticus which provides for a financial analyst certification readily acceptable in the market for jobs and as a career choice par excellence.

Does Financial Analyst need SQL?

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Does the Financial Analyst need SQL?

SQL, which stands for a structured query language, is the way most data analysts define, manipulate and control large amounts of data. It allows the questions in our minds to be translated into queries that elicit quick and concise responses from the data. 

It is no secret that data has become a prerequisite for analysis, as the digitized world has enabled our every movement to be translated into data points captured by various technologies. The unstoppable and ever-growing expansion of the data universe, coupled with an increasing appreciation of the capabilities of sophisticated data analysis, has made the data analyst the magician of our time. A good data analyst, or a good data-analysis solution, is one that bridges the gap between data and the way the human mind works.

Though sceptics claim SQL has nothing to do with finance, the technological world is fast evolving and inter-departmental boundaries are fast disappearing. Most teams are now cross-functional, and the emphasis for operational efficiency is on being Agile and applying Scrum principles. Even data has moved to cloud storage. That’s obviously why financial analysts need knowledge in Python and SQL.

It is no secret that data has become a prerequisite for analysis, as the digitized world has enabled our every movement to be translated into data points captured by various technologies. The unstoppable and ever-growing expansion of the data universe, coupled with an increasing appreciation of the capabilities of sophisticated data analysis, has made data analysts the magician of our time. A good data analyst, or a good data-analysis solution, bridges the gap between data and the way the human mind works.

SQL and Finance:

Data and financial records form the very backbone of all financial analysis. SQL is a great programming language for financial applications. Couple that with cloud storage, cross-functional teams, and the never-ending need for differentiating and cutting-edge live databases and it is easy to infer that at least the fundamental techniques of SQL are of paramount importance to the newbie financial analyst. Most people shy away from SQL which appears to be hard to learn and full of math.

However, SQL is the easiest way to store, move data locations, analyze your data across various internal and external sources, retrieve data at will, make data analytics-based decisions, add the script to edited data, and find a particular date’s stock prices and endlessly explore databases. Especially in financial analysis, there is no replacement of data to justify or argue a decision! SQL is truly awesome with queries, not so great at organizing data, has an awe-inspiring backend, works with very few filters, and is declarative.

Python and Finance:

Having stressed the need for SQL, add the most happening financial language of Python to the list of requirements for financial analysts. Python tools take care of math and programming difficulties.

Here are some reasons to adapt to Python:

  • Financial modelling tools like VBA Macros and Excel are for beginners. Python can do all this and more with minimum code and not being limited to on-screen data interpolation
  • Testing strategies and trades are possible with simple Python code and algorithms in comparison to the C-based coding for financial algorithms
  • Data Analysis is simplified by importing queries in SQL and producing a more complex inferential analysis
  • Its libraries are vast and open source

If you have to learn a few programming languages, then do so at the very beginning of your career to ensure a happier more successful tomorrow. The older generation finds adapting to SQL, Python, etc. hard and you will have an unbeatable edge. Do give programming languages like the evolving Lisp, Haskell, and R a fair chance too. You never know what software your future companies depend on or adapt to. In parting, assimilation of skills is the first hard step in your successful career.

There are many skills both technical and non-transferable that contribute to making a successful financial analyst immaterial of which area you work in. Doing the financial analyst course at the renowned Imarticus Learning Academy will ensure you get a coveted financial analyst certification while the course comprehensively provides you with the easiest skill-enhancing route.

Also Read: – Do Financial Analysts Use Python 

How Do You Perform A Financial Analysis

What Are The Benefits Of Being A Financial Analyst?

What do you need to learn to become a Financial Analyst?

Posted on by Imarticus Learning

At the onset of your career as a junior analyst, you will need to enhance your proficiency in database usage, spreadsheets, presentations in PowerPoint, other relevant software applications and Microsoft Excel. Senior analysts will, however, have to work on the crucial aspects of presentation skills, long working hours, mentoring juniors effectively, and building interpersonal relationships.

A financial analyst career requires long working hours, preparation and a flair for financial analysis. Other than job-satisfaction, the career provides excellent payouts and a horde of opportunities.

Essential Skills: 
Foundational graduation in Finance, economics, statistics, etc would be very desirable. Most courses provide boot camps for those who do not have a finance background. Based on your plans, specialization choices, eligibility, and resources various courses provide certification.

The most coveted of these is the CFA certification. You could also take up the Series 63 and 7 exams for accounting practices and investment terms in the US known as SIE certification (Securities Industry Essentials).

One will require non-technical and non-transferable skills like:

finance certification

  • Good quantitative skills.
  • Great problem-solving skills.
  • Grasp on use of inferential logic and an innovative approach.
  • Good presentation skills.
  • Above average reporting and data skills.
  • Great communicative ability and Interpersonal skills.
  • Team skills that are both collaborative and communicative.
  • Ability to sustain when working long hours under demands, pressure, and ambiguity.
  • Integrity and discipline.
  • A quick absorptive learner for financial interpretations without SOPs.

Technical skills:

  • Microsoft Excel and VB Macros
  • Use of data analysis techniques and manipulations in software
  • Fundamental accounting concepts
  • Financial statements analysis with forecasting, inferences, and valuation
  • Use and creating financial models and tools like bar graphs, charts, etc
  • Presentation capacity in Excel with data visualization charts
  • Preparing accounting statements like cash flow, balance sheets, income, and working capital statements.
  • Ratio analysis interpretation and preparation.
  • Frameworks for comparative multiple-companies performance analysis.
  • Forward financial models, ratios, and integrated statements
  • SWOT analysis
  • Techniques of Discounted-Cash-Flow valuation
  • Best practices in valuation applied to real-time  multiple databases of company data
  • SQL and PowerPoint

Types of Analysts:

The financial analysis field offers many career routes and titles. The main areas are in: 

  • Investment banks
  • Investment firms on buy-side.
  • Real estate sector
  • Firms on the Sell-side
  • Insurance companies
  • Companies that are data-driven
  • Brokerage firms

Average Salary:
Financial Analysts draw an average pay-band of 65k to 110k$ in the US according to Indeed.
In conclusion, if you have a flair for financial analysis then the financial analyst courses can get you the coveted financial analyst certification. 

The Imarticus course teaches you the best tools and such courses are particularly advantageous to your career because of the global robust curriculum, hands-on practice on popular tools, an industry-relevant project involving real-time live data, and excellent mentorship provided which makes you industry-ready from day one.

Also Read: How Do You Prepare For Financial Intern Interview

Which course is better SAP FISCO or financial analysis?

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Both SAP  FICO and a Financial Analyst course have their own unique applications – both require an individual to be an expert in the domain, and both can land very lucrative jobs. SAP FICO is a little more technical and to become a financial analyst one requires to be continuously updated in skills. One must take a lot of care and should consider all options before deciding for a course.
Let us look in detail.
SAP FICO – FI (financial accounting) and CO (controlling) is a module that is used for reporting both internally and externally. Its main purpose is to record all financial transactions that are posted by an entity and maintain and produce accurate financial statements at the end of the trade period.
SAP is made up of sub-modules which are often used – accounts receivables, payables, asset accounting, general ledger accounting, and bank accounting. These sub-modules are interlinked, and they integrate in real time. A trial balance will always be balanced as all the submodules are connected and thus they can be extracted at any time.
Financial Analyst course
Integration between SAP FI modules:
General ledger accounting – A set of all general ledger accounts in SAP that is used by a company or a group of companies is referred to as a chart of accounts, and these are used for the final preparation of the financial statements. Most transactions are reconciled with the general ledgers in real time as most transactions are recorded in submodules. Transactions done in direct general ledger accounting includes journal vouchers. These are posted to correct or adjust transactions.
Accounts receivables – it is a submodule that records all transactions with customers and manages their accounts. Separate customer accounts are maintained, and once transactions reflect in customer accounts, reconciliation accounts in the general ledger are updated in real-time figures. These transactions include invoice posting, down payments, invoice payment and executing customer reports.
Accounts payables – is a sub-module that records all vendor transactions and manages vendor accounts. Separate accounts are maintained for all vendors, and when transactions reflect in customer accounts, reconciliation accounts in the general ledger are updated with real-time figures. Transactions include invoice and credit memo posting, down payments and invoice payments, automatic payment program and executing vendor reports.
Asset accounting – it manages all transactions that are related to assets, for an entity. Once transactions are posted in asset accounts, reconciliation accounts are updated in real time. Transactions in asset accounting include asset acquisition and retirement, asset sale and transfer, asset revaluation and asset depreciation.
Bank accounting – it records all transactions with the banks. It is done to collect all transactions recorded by the bank on their statements and comparing them to transactions in the system.
Since all the SAP FI sub-modules are consolidated and transactions are updated in real time, accurate financial statements can be extracted at any time from the system.
To become a financial analyst you acquire a financial analyst certification one has to leverage accounting and compliance backgrounds and has to explore financial data, predict results and drive policy improvements. The position of a financial is accountable for reviewing investment proposals, investigating internal financial and operational issues, staying ahead on the conditions of the industry conditions and activities of different competitors.
Principal Accountabilities covered in a Financial Analyst Test

  • To investigate operational and financial results and make suggestions for improvements
  • Conduct and discuss cost-benefit analyses
  • Reviewing capital budgeting proposals and recommend to management
  • Create and forecast future business conditions in multiple scenarios
  • Review and suggest different investments that are based on risk and return analysis
  • Stay ahead of industry developments
  • Create financial models with electronic spreadsheets
  • Make powerpoint presentations for senior management with summaries of the results of analyses
  • Analyze past and current financial data and performance and preparing reports based on that
  • Evaluate current capital expenditures as well as depreciation and exploring investment opportunities
  • Evaluating profits plans and providing with financial models and forecasting
  • Recognizing trends in financial performance and offering suggestions for improvement

Reliance Capital Downgraded by ICRA

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R-Capital was recently IC-Ratings Association downgraded. What does that mean and how can we use this information?
Why the rating is important:
The IC-Ratings Association forum comprises of representatives from commercial banks, leading institutions in investments and finance, and companies in financial services to benchmark and rates the invest ability factor. It is an independent company listed on stock exchanges both in Mumbai and nationally, as it is a public limited company.

Global alliances:

The ratings are used by Moody’s who offer services to investors, technical and financial services globally to companies, training, research, concept management, spotting capital market trends, and providing investor service, product ratings. Moody’s is also the largest stakeholder on the rating agency.
The ICRA rating:
The rating is crucial to the common investor because

  • It gives comprehensive company information.
  • Provides users of the rating a wider field to choose investments and products from the capital and money markets.
  • Enable company fundraising from a wider market.
  • Assist the monitoring agencies to ensure measurability of performance and transparency in the rating process.
  • Aids intermediaries and institutions in the fundraising process.

The recent downward rating of Rel-Capital by ICRA to A4 from A2 has several negative connotations. The Brickwork and CARE ratings also put them on a watch-list for credit implications that can only be negative for Reliance. The key subsidiaries of Reliance HFL and Reliance CFL were also mentioned as having a negative impact on the financial position while the profile of liquidity stands weakened and Reliance itself faces rating revisions.
Here is the lowdown on the rating factors.

    • The Anil Ambani led group has been impacted by the slow monetization of its services and businesses in the non-financial market thus impacting liquidity which is stuck in investments that are non-core in nature.
    • The critical subsidiaries of Reliance in the Home and Commercial Finance sectors are also stressed. This means that the inflow of money is lower than the debts incurred and due for repayment considering their position over the coming six months.
    • The funds need to be brought in by rapid disinvestments in the assets held by the non-core and core segments of their business and imply that the fund inflow expectations were unrealistic and much higher than the true position. The most critical factor will be whether they can raise these funds in time and pay off the accumulated debts in time. These issues point to huge borrowings and lack of flexibility in capital management.
    • Though management confidence is keeping the situation afloat there is no transparency in the funds-recovery positions of capital advanced to and obtained from Rel-Capital, Rel-Commercial Finance, and Rel-Home Finance. Thus the criticality of the fund’s position and repayment capacity remains unclear.

In response to being downgraded as a good investment choice, the company claimed that the rating was inappropriate and unjustifiable mainly because none of the parameters of operation used for rating had actually changed. They claimed the rating had accounted for Rs 950 crore being the outstanding debt to be repaid by the 30th of September this year and that this was a mere commercial on-paper transaction which did not affect its liquidity position.
Further, they claimed it would be converting into money its Rel-LAM with Nippon at the present valuation of the market to raise Rs 5,000 Cr and includes a 42.88% holding which is earning a good premium on disinvestment. It has also approached SEBI with their prospectus and plans to monetize the holdings in Rel-General Insurance wherein they have a stake-hold of 49%. Speaking more about their monetization drive they also indicated that they would cut by half their debt-servicing demands and raise a total capital of 10,000 Cr Rs in total to regain their ratings.
Conclusion:
The Reliance group of companies appears to be in a grave financial crisis with mounting debts and a debt restructuring and monetization program that will take far too long. The debtors may push hard and lead the company to file for bankruptcy.
In parting, to understand financial ratings and effectively use them in today’s ratings dependent financial markets, you will need some formal training at a well-reputed institute like Imarticus. Enroll immediately in their financial analyst courses which will make you job-prepared, aid your resume with certification and of course, give you excellent hands-on practice, a comprehensive practical oriented- curriculum which allows you to hit your career grounds running!

How The Rupee Became The Best Performing Currency in Asia?

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The Rupee was declared the best performing currency in Asia in March 2019! Financial trends and analytics are at the core of predicting the value of the currency in the international stock markets. So, when the findings revealed that the rupee had suddenly in little over a month everyone was curious as to the factors that led up to this change in fortunes.
Factors fuelling the recovery:
The 2019 midterm polls: The very announcement of the polling schedule impacted the rupee positively. It is normal that new brooms bring in new changes. And the stocks responded positively to this factor by seeing a sudden pick up in values against the Euros, Yen, and US dollar as comparative currencies.
The present PM could win the next term: If you believe the trends reported by analytics of data on the pre-poll sentiments the present PM has a very good chance at repeating his last performance and becoming a second-term PM. He does have to his credit the much-debated demonetization and flushing off illegitimate funds from the system to account for. Besides, the thrust area of turning India into a digital economy saw the great implementation of such practices which have been generally speaking quite successful. A second term will push the rupee values up further according to some experts in poll-analytics.
Escalated Indo-Pak tensions: India sent out a firm message after tensions sprung up post the Pulwama attacks and India’s retaliatory measures at ending terrorism in J and K. The world finally recognized the dangers breeding there and this caused a spurt in values for the Indian rupee. This also contributed hugely to an improvement in the PM’s ratings as a potential second-term candidate.
Huge positive sentiments in buying of shares: This type of investment by foreign stakeholders went ballistic in mid-March and raised bond values to a high within a short period of one month.
Borrowings in US dollars: This factor aided by buying of assets strengthened the rupee values further and helped arrest the downslide against the US dollar.
US and Europe positive sentiments: Though the US has been speaking tough, there has been perceptible bettering of relations with both big players and their stock markets and financial institutions in the global economy, and this in conjunction with other factors caused the rise in values according to a segment of Bloomberg experts.
The robust recovery in cash-flows to portfolio management: This came about with the bettering of the BJP a political party that appears to be set to win the on-going seven-phased polls.
Anticipated volatility fell: A decrease in the 3-month period of the anticipated figures for price-volatility and movement of monies fell to reasonable limits recently which spurred the recovery and price-improvements seen by the Indian rupee versus the US dollar.
What does this mean?
The results of the polls which is due to complete in mid-May could be the crucial factor for the resilience in the rupee values. Should BJP manage a clear win the prices will stabilize as versus the dollar and this augurs well for the Indian economy. Going from the worst performing to the best in its class is an unexplained trend at the moment mainly due to the ambiguity of the poll results being an important factor. However, other indices and factors like good money-flows, carrying-over of trade prices of the rupee, increased chances for the PM and BJP to win the polls and stabilization of conflicts along with better relationships globally have also contributed to this success story.
How you can get a better understanding:
In parting, financial degrees do not teach you the best technological tools to understand trends, forecasts, and predictions. All is not lost! Do a financial degree course with Imarticus Learning to inculcate the best-practices and tools for efficiency in using analytics.
On a concluding note, it is interesting to study the various factors that contributed to the rupee emerging as Asia’s best currency. To make a financial career and qualify for certification you need a reputed institute like Imarticus who have wide acceptance across all verticals. The Financial Analyst certification adds value to your resume, is almost a mandatory requirement and opens the doorways to a satisfying career with extremely handsome salaries. Why tarry? Enroll and reap the benefits of Imarticus courses today.

What are The Training Topics of a Course For Operation Financial analyst?

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What are The Training Topics of a Course For Operation Financial analysts?

The operational, financial analyst needs a very thorough study of theory and the applicability of theory to practical situations. The best option is to do financial analysis courses.

Here are what topics the financial analytics training courses cover. The course topics are covered in detail with case studies, practice assignments and quizzes.

  • How to use Excel
  • Undertake data analysis and manipulation in Excel
  • Basics and concepts in accounting
  • Analysis of financial statements
  • Inferences and forecasting methodology from financial statements
  • Valuation of business from financial analysis data
  • Dynamic and flexible financial model making
  • Data visualization charts in Excel creation and presentation
  • Accounting statements preparation for any company
  • Create balance sheet, cash flows statement and income statement from the basics onwards.
  • Ratio analysis from company financials preparation and interpretation
  • Using a framework to compare different companies financial performances
  • Creation of  financial models that are forward-looking and integrated
  • Forecast, extrapolate financial ratios which are forward-looking
  • Discounted Cash Flows application and techniques of valuation on an actual company performance data
  • Apply valuation technique of Multiples to a real-world company data
  • Presentation enhancing tools like PowerPoint

Skills and requirements

A graduation degree or even a Master’s in Finance goes a long way. Add certifications that are relevant. Those from a non-financial background can also take these courses as most offer boot camps to bring you to speed.

Course advantages:

Depending on your career plan, resources, specialization choices, and eligibility here you can choose your certification. These have different prerequisites in terms of educational background, experience, and examinations taken to be finally added on to your resume. All of them provide you with a well-defined skill set meant to ensure you are industry-ready and have the required skill sets.

The courses offer a good grasp of basics, concepts, theoretical knowledge, practical skills and certifications that could help enhance your resume and career. They also offer boot camps, short term workshops, and knowledge valuable to enter the industry. Another advantage in such a course is of mentoring by certified and experienced industry aces that helps garner the latest best practices, techniques, skills, and practice on the latest trending technologies in the financial industry.

While certification definitely helps you need to be an excellent communicator and work diligently to acquire the best analytical and business skills. You will definitely need a basic degree in technology, finance or Management. Besides, technical skills in DevOps, IoT, Python, Machine Learning, Big Data, and Hadoop will definitely help in your role as an Operational Financial Analyst.

Non-transferable skills will also need to be developed and aligned with the enterprise’s needs. You must have the following traits.

  1. Interpersonal Communication skills
  2. Ability to solve problems creatively.
  3. Collaborative team skills
  4. Ability to work with ambiguity, pressure, and demands from the startup environment.
  5. Discipline and integrity since you will be working on financial transactions.
  6. A good learner as there may be no standard operating procedures in interpretations.

Conclusion:

An Operation Financial analyst has to have a gamut of traits besides training which can be acquired through online refresher courses. The importance of continued learning can never be stressed enough. Once you have your skills in place, there should be no doubt that you can actually do and act on what you have learned. Your certification validates you are industry ready. So just get ready and go for it.