Equity research sector?

When weighing potential opportunities as a junior analyst in equity research, how much should the sector you’d get to cover matter versus other factors such as the style and personality of your senior analyst, whether that analyst is II ranked, and how much you like your other junior analysts? I’ve heard the management style of the senior analyst and the responsibility you can shoulder should be the most important factors, but it’s also hard not to be tempted to gravitate towards “sexy” sectors like gaming, internet, and clean tech, especially when compared to old standbys like mining, supermarkets, and forestry. Not sure if this is relevant, but I would be looking to build up my financial skillset and potentially look to move to the buyside down the road, although who knows, I may fall in love with SS equity research. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Hey, I cover Supermarkets and Forestry.

You definitely will become locked into your sector quickly. I like the sector I chose, but you also have to weigh your long-term career path, and likelihood of other potential opportunities in the near-term. RoadCat- being a REIT-man, myself, I’m liking the long-term prospects of both retail shopping centers and timber.

I’m in RE consultancy myself but also think timber is an interesting sector for the future. Have anyone of you seen any (free) comprehensive introductory research on this (preferably international)?

mcthorp, I dont get into the retail shopping centers but for a long-term play I like alot of the Timber REIT’s and TIMO’s. They are also a few forestry product Companies that I am high on right now. I like the ones that are some how involved in consumer retail products and not just paper of corrugated packaging. As far as the return on Timber, it isnt very good right now but in the long run I think Timber Prices will rebound and the crazy thing about land is there is only so much of it and more and more of is being developed. I find the forestry portfolio much more interesting than the supermaket portfolio.

Any thoughts about the airline sector?

The airline industry has not yet proven to be profitable.

If your interested in that sector try A&D.

Not true Mcthorp…the industry is unprofitable…but many individual airlines are very profitable. Ryanair, for example. Find me another airline with 20% EBIT margins. Southwest is another solid operator.