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new to finance

I don't have Finance major background as a lot of others do. What would be the best course of action to learn more about finance industry and study accounting? Obviously taking courses through WST and trying to do some modelling practices on my own, but wanted to see if you could offer some other ad... Read More

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by W K.

added 5 years ago

Corporate Finance-specific modules

I about to interview for a Corporate Finance position at a multinational firm (S&P 500 and well-diversified so I've no idea which industry I might be assigned to). Which courses/modules are most suitable for me to prepare for such a role? Given I have already know the basics and theory of corporate ... Read More

by Darwin H.

added 9 years ago

Interview Question - What would Hamilton or Dave Do?

I was hit in an interview with the question, "How would you value TiVo?" Here's the rub: the company is way out of my field. Yes, I know what a TiVo is, and I also know my cable box does the same thing. I also know I don't watch TV and have never had an occasion to use the DVR functions. S... Read More

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by Guest 1.

added 10 years ago

Re: Interview Question - What would Hamilton or Dave Do?

The approach would be the same to all companies - identify the revenue growth. break down where the revenue comes from, who's the customers, # units, sales price, etc. So with TiVo, same thing - how many customers, average price, growth rates, etc. Then, break down the costs that TiVo has. A retail ... Read More

by WST Expert 1.

added 10 years ago

Information session at AEPi

I just wanted to thank you again for coming out and talking to the fraternity. As one who is very interested in the world of financial services, I will definitely be getting back to you shortly about joining your program. That being said, I have a question that you might be able to answer, and I hop... Read More

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by Guest 1.

added 10 years ago

Re: Information session at AEPi

It was great meeting you and I'm happy to see you take an active role in your future. While things are still being played out in Wall Street in this current financial crisis, what is still certain is that the most elite areas of finance (i.e. investment banking, private equity, mergers & acqui... It was great meeting you and I'm happy to see you take an active role in your future.

While things are still being played out in Wall Street in this current financial crisis, what is still certain is that the most elite areas of finance (i.e. investment banking, private equity, mergers & acquisitions) will provide you with the tools and stepping stones to succeed in your future endeavours.

Despite the bashing that finance is taking now, no where else in finance, or any other job/career track for that matter, can provide you with what the top echelon of finance can provide, all in one, at an early stage of your career. This is an accelerated learning over a short few years in finance that can literally take decades to learn in non-finance, specifically:
- extreme discipline and attention to detail that is so critical to success in any chosen field
- ability to critically think and analyze and form independent decisions
- use of numbers and financial models to quantify difficult qualitative factors
- exposure to how to properly market and sell a product against a strong competitor
- methodical approach to problem solving and tackling difficult real-world situations
- research and grunt work required that supports and builds the final analysis (are you willing to get your hands dirty?)
- presentation skills and conducting oneself properly in a business setting
- learning all aspects of what makes a business function (three-legged stool of starting a business)
- separating teamwork vs working individually (what does it take to get the project done?)
- meet and learn from top executives from Fortune 500 companies helping them execute a piece of their business plan and corporate strategy
- absorb learning experiences from successful entrepreneurs who built their business up from scratch 20 years ago that you are now helping to sell or buy or invest in for $200 million

This is what the principals of Wall St. Training have personally gained from our respective experiences with Wall Street. Throughout your interaction with Wall St. Training, we are here to provide you guidance, mentorship and advice to reach your goal, now and in the future. We train over 12,000 professionals a year and you would belong to the WST network in which we help each other succeed. Your immediate goal is to catapult yourself to the position to master the tools listed above. Your intermediate goal is to master the tools. Your longer-term goal is to translate such tools into your own success story.

Let me know if you have any questions/concerns. Read More

by WST Expert 1.

added 10 years ago

Published M&A and LBO Deal Information

Hi Guys, I am a graduate from Surrey University in England. Having recently completed all your core modules as preparation for an interview in London, I have some further prep to do. I have been advised to (1) read up on recent and past M&A and LBO transactions (more focus on LBOs) and (2) re... Read More

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by Guest 1.

added 10 years ago

CFA certification

Hi WST,
How would you value a CFA certification as a career advancement in finance? Also, how would you recommend someone to prepare for the exams?

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by Guest 1.

added 10 years ago

stock trading

Here's a question that was posed to us: "in my financial markets class, we have a mock trading competition going on, and whomever wins at the end of the semester (70 or so days) will get a 10% increase in total points for the semester, which could potentially boost the grade up a letter. i, obviousl... Here's a question that was posed to us: "in my financial markets class, we have a mock trading competition going on, and whomever wins at the end of the semester (70 or so days) will get a 10% increase in total points for the semester, which could potentially boost the grade up a letter. i, obviously, really want to win; how do you suggest i go about this / what should i be looking at research-wise?"

our short answer:

If you aren't following the mkt each day, this is tough if not impossible to teach since your actions and selections now will affect the end portfolio value. In short, Identify the sectors that you think will outperform the market. Your goal isn't to maximize your profits but to beat the rest of the class. So considering what's going on now in the mkt, read up on interent, WSJ etc on what industries will do the best in this craphole of an economy. Then, within that sector, pick the best companies. The way to win is to totally pick specific stocks and not diversify. However the risks are obvious. If you don't pick the right stocks you really lose.

For instance, things to think about:
- traditionally in good times, small cap stocks do well as they usually play into niche areas. In bad times, small caps don't do well because no one is buying and they have less room for buffer since they don't have as much economies of scale
- clearly the banking sector is hurt right now. No one is immune but if you think there are a couple outliers, then pick them
- oil & gas: as oil prices go up, integrated oils like exxonmobil do well, refineries like valero don't. As oil goes up, airlines suufer. Opposite is true. So take a stance on oil prices. Read up on full implications and make a decision
- retailers - discounters like wmt do well now, as does costco. But then costco got hurt more than wmt since costco had less room to quickly raise prices whereas wmt is able to control prices more but costco has a lot of private label (kirkland) so when costs up, they couldn't pass along as quickly
- since you are now literally living thru history, and the bailout hasn't passed yet, ask, who will benefit most when it does pass? Make the bet
- think global economics and the balance of payments and interest rate parity. As the US needs to issue more debt in future for bailout and other reasons, the $ will likely continue to depreciate. So pick companies with lots of international exposure. However, its relative to europe and asia - if they suffer more than US, then dollar will appreciate, if not, then reverse
- you probably can't short else you can do lots of stuff. Pick the opposite and short them to magnify returns

Final assessment: research all the different trends and relationships. Identify what you believe will happen and go from there. This is what portfolio mgrs do and takes yrs to perfect. Welcome to finance. Read More

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by Guest 1.

added 10 years ago

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