Getting a job in equity research can be extremely competitive. Global investment banks and boutique firms only have so many Analysts and Associates, with a limited number of new people they hire each year.

eShares, Inc., doing business as Carta, Inc., is a San Francisco, California-based technology company that specializes in capitalization table management and valuation software.

Other Qualifications for Equity Research Analysts The preeminent professional qualification for equity research analysts and others working in securities research is the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation, which is awarded by the CFA Institute.

While financial analysts consider a broad scope, equity analysts focus on the stocks of companies—the equity portion of the capital structure. Equity analysts start off by doing financial modeling and analysis and are responsible for coverage of a specific sector or group of companies.