Research & Asset Management

Research involves understanding the capital structure and the financial statements (10Ks, 10Qs, and other SEC filings) of publicly traded companies and trying to uncover hidden investment value. Asset Management involves "managing" the money for a pool of investors. This pool of money could be invested in a variety of stocks, bonds, real estate, commodities, etc. to create a portfolio. Hence, Asset Managers are also called Portfolio Managers, Fund Managers, Wealth Managers, or Investment Managers, and they use the material published by Research Analysts. So, the two professions of Research and Asset Management are closely tied.


The goal of Old Ezra is to provide students with an introduction to a variety of asset classes including equities, fixed income, and alternative investments that will enable students to choose a career path that matches their interests and aptitudes. MBAs could work as Research Analysts or Asset Managers on either the Buy side or the Sell side. However, since Asset Managers are responsible for managing the money for other investors, a recent MBA will typically start out as a Research Analyst and then work his or her way upto an Asset Manager.


As a buy-side research associate, you will cover a broad range of firms within an industry and make specific stock or bond recommendations for inclusion in a portfolio by an asset manager. You will delve deeply into financial statements. A buy side associate would work for an asset/portfolio manager pitching stock or bond investment ideas. Typical buy side firms are Fidelity, Wellington, Blackrock, and others.


As a sell-side research associate, you will typically focus on a smaller number of firms (compared to the buy-side) where your clients will be internal (i.e. sales and trading teams) and external (i.e. buy side). Typical sell side firms are Merrill Lynch, Lehman Brothers, JPMorgan, and others.

The Old Ezra club integrates and leverages the strengths of the substantial resources available at the Johnson School for those interested in Research and Asset Management including the Passport Series, Investment Management Club, The Cayuga Fund, and the Career Management Center.