One has to respect the market, learn from the different cycles and invest prudently.

Mr. Hassan is a distinguished analyst who was voted the second-best analyst in the 13th Annual Excellence Awards by CFA Society Pakistan held in 2016. Prior to joining NBP FUNDS, Mr. Hassan was associated with Alfalah Securities (Pvt.) Limited where he headed the Research Department. He is a CFA charter-holder and also holds BSc. (Hon’s) in Applied Accounting from Oxford Brookes University. Mr. Hassan is the Head of Research at NBP FUNDS. He has worked in the leading brokerage houses with well-rounded sectoral exposure. He has actively covered Banking Sector, Oil and Gas Exploration and Production Sector, Oil Marketing Sector, Power Sector and Cement Sector (around 60% of KSE-100 Index).

As the Head of research, what is your typical day at work?

As investment research is a dynamic process, one is always on their toes to see how incoming news related to economy, government policies, legislation, regulations, and other international events may influence and shape investment decisions. My typical day at work starts by reading several newspapers to keep myself abreast with all events. The news and events are discussed with team members who specialize in the particular sectors and their impacts are assessed and analyzed, based on which investment recommendations are made. Reading and analyzing company accounts followed by dilation with the relevant research analyst is what I do during most of my day at work.

As the Head of research, how do you keep yourself up to date with the latest market trends?

To keep myself well informed with the latest market trends I tend to rely on newspapers, journals, and subscriptions related to the economy and various sectors. Data banks like Bloomberg also provide a lot of insights pertaining to different sector-specific indicators which help in formulating investment recommendations.

In your opinion, what characteristics are essential to have a successful career in research?

Keeping abreast with the latest stock market trends, the latest economic data and developing a deep understanding of the operating business model of companies is a prerequisite for being a successful research analyst. This is cardinal to formulating and giving investment recommendation as part of the investment management process. The ability to discern, and relate to the pertinent news amidst the information deluge is central to the ongoing research activity. Periodic engagements with company management across various sectors cannot be over-emphasized to have a successful career in research.