Investment Research Analyst

Applications Close 31 December 2024

Location

Cape Town, South Africa

Reports To

Investment Research Line Manager

Application Criteria

B.Com or equivalent majoring in finance, investments, economics, or accounting. FAIS compliant representative or working towards obtaining the qualification within 2 years. Honours, M.Com and/or CFA advantageous.

Experience

Minimum of 1 to 2 years prior experience in investment/asset management industry. A good understanding of the financial markets. Quantitative ability in terms of performance and risk calculations advantageous. Experience within a multi-manager environment advantageous. Good practical working experience across Microsoft Office, especially in MS Word, MS PowerPoint, and MS Excel.

Purpose of Job

The Investment Research Analyst conducts research and analysis of investment products, asset managers, and other service providers for internal and external clients. Their main task is to conduct basic research on investment-related topics to support RisCura's investment decision-making forum.

Potential career progression:

  • Senior Investment Research Analyst.
  • Role within the Portfolio Management team.
  • Role within the Consulting team.

Key Competencies, Skills and Attributes

  • Good communication (verbal and written).
  • Team player.
  • Strong interpersonal skills and ability to build strong industry relationships.
  • Ability to manage multiple deliverables with strict deadlines.
  • Accuracy, attention to detail, self-motivation, and ability to work independently and use initiative.
  • Passionate about research and financial markets.
  • A strong desire to keep learning every day.
  • A natural collaborator and team player who also enjoys working independently.
  • A self-starter who can manage their own output in the absence of a rigorous daily schedule.

Key Responsibilities

Contribute to the management and maintenance of the RisCura shortlist of preferred managers by:

  • Learning about the RisCura investment philosophy and the requirements for an asset manager to be included in RisCura’s list of preferred managers.
  • Scouting and researching any potential sources of new asset managers or investment products in order to generate a steady stream of new investment opportunities across multiple asset classes.
  • Collecting and collating asset manager information, ensuring all information is correctly captured and up to date.
  • Assisting with generating and maintaining a short list of asset managers (across all asset classes/regions) in line with RisCura’s investment philosophy.
  • Documenting decisions relating to the reasons for asset managers being included on or rejected from shortlists.

Assist with the provision of input to RisCura’s investment decision-making committee:

  • Preparation of recommendation documents.
  • Assisting with research and analysis as required and in preparation of investment meetings, including review of current managers, client asset allocations and maintaining a house-view for managers across asset classes/model portfolios.
  • Researching and identifying new areas of interest for RisCura, preparing detailed documentation, and presenting these for review and consideration.

Support the execution of Investment Research tasks and completion of client reports by:

  • Providing analytical input and support to the Investment Research team and the required deliverables.
  • Contributing to quantitative and qualitative analysis of portfolios and investment strategies.
  • Performing detailed portfolio analysis of sample/model portfolios and assessing their consistency with the manager’s adopted investment approach.
  • Identifying and clearly explaining key areas/risks/weaknesses to be monitored should a manager be appointed.
  • Preparing and presenting investment analytics/meeting papers prior to manager research meetings, attending and recording research meetings, etc.
  • Actively and efficiently liaising with clients on portfolio analytics and overall supporting research activities.
  • Drafting and/or peer reviewing client documentation relating to their investments, specific strategies, or asset classes.
  • Building and maintaining a network of relevant contacts within the financial/investment industry as a basis for high-quality referrals and primary research.
  • Performing ongoing monitoring of research information sources.

Work closely with our consultants and portfolio management teams:

  • To assist with the structuring of solutions for our clients.
  • Provide context to investment outcomes from our decision-making committees.
  • Assist with any ad-hoc research requests.

Contribute to the improvement of internal operations in the Investment Research team by:

  • Proposing enhancements to the research process, tools, procedures, and initiatives.
  • Enhancing and developing research tools for procedures and initiatives.
  • Performing operational compliance and due diligence checks on service providers.
  • Collaborating with members of the broader Research business unit on specific improvement projects.

Other Key Relationships

Internal:

  • Consultants.
  • Portfolio Management team.
  • Form part of RisCura’s Global Investment Research team.
  • RisCura business units.
  • Network companies in relation to their investment research requirements.

External:

  • Asset management investment professionals.
  • Various service providers.
  • RisCura clients.

Renumeration

Market related.

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