Equity Research Graduate Programme 2026

targetjobs UK; City Of London; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading investment firm is seeking a graduate for an equity research role in London. You will analyze and recommend investments based on thorough research of publicly traded companies. The ideal candidate is graduating in 2026, possesses strong analytical skills, and is driven to serve clients' interests. Comprehensive induction and CFA support provided.

Benefits

Support for CFA exam

Buddy and mentor program

Networking events

Qualifications

• Graduating in 2026 (Bachelor’s or Master’s degree required).
• Comfort with numeracy and analytical skills.
• Intellectual curiosity and ambition.

Responsibilities

• Analyze financial data and competitive positioning of companies.
• Build financial models for forecasting company performance.
• Compile analysis into research reports for investment decisions.

Skills

Analytical Skills

Thirst for Knowledge

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree

Job description

Overview

Who We Are
We provide unrivalled access to information, experts, and industry leaders, giving you the opportunity to conduct fundamental bottom-up research into publicly traded companies and identify attractive investment opportunities for our client funds. We’ve been helping clients plan and invest for their futures for over 50 years. From more than 25 locations around the world, we provide investment services and retirement expertise to everyone from central banks to private individuals. We’re known for acting with integrity and thinking for the long-term. And across our organisation, we foster a welcoming, caring and inclusive culture where people feel respected, trusted and able to be themselves. We don’t expect you to come straight in and know everything about what we do. As a graduate, and whatever you’ve studied, we’ll help make sure you get the most out of being a full-time employee.

The Team You Will Join

When investment decisions relate to stocks then it’s our Equities team making them. How do they choose the best stocks to invest in? The Equities investment department has responsibility for all retail and institutional funds managed by Fidelity International. This responsibility includes managing equity portfolios in accordance with the stated investment objectives contained in the fund’s prospectus, trust document or Investment Management Agreement (IMA). The research department provide analysis on companies, stocks and sectors, working closely with fund managers to select stocks for their portfolios. You will be immersed in real work from the start and, using your own initiative, will be empowered to make your own decisions. You will be able to enjoy working independently as much as being part of a team. With a natural desire to learn, you will get to understand the importance of deep analytical thinking in making recommendations on behalf of our clients and Fidelity. At times, when financial markets challenge you, you will keep things in perspective, use it as a learning opportunity and develop your resilience with the support of those around you.

What You’ll Be Doing

You’ll work as part of a research team and assume analytical responsibility for regional coverage (sector or country), analysing the products, services, strategies, competitive advantages and financial data of publicly traded companies, assessing current and future trading environments and investigating the competence of their management teams. You’ll use robust analysis to make a buy or sell recommendation on each company to our team of Portfolio Managers both locally and worldwide, giving you a pivotal role in the investment decision-making process. During your early career within Equity Research, you will be regionally aligned and will gain valuable insight into several sectors to enable you to build the base of expertise you need to become either a Career Analyst or a Portfolio Manager. Essentially, you will be making a call to buy or sell individual securities.

The Difference You’ll Make

• Youll meet with senior management from publicly traded companies in your sector. You will build a relationship with a range of key industry stakeholders - from current competitors to potential entrants to regulators and politicians - to form a deep understanding of the prospects for the sector and the companies within it.
• Youll research and analyse the products, services, strategies, competitive advantages, and financial data of the companies in your sector. You will assess their current and future competitive position and investigate the competency of their management teams to determine whether they are worthwhile investments.
• Youll build financial models (covering profit & loss, cashflow and balance sheet statements) that allow us to identify the share price drivers of each company, forecast its earnings and estimate its intrinsic value quickly and accurately.
• Youll compile this robust analysis into concise research reports, recommending to our team of Portfolio Managers the companies that should be owned within our client funds.

How You’ll Be Supported

You’ll start the graduate programme with a comprehensive induction, where you’ll be introduced to investment management and how it fits into the City and the financial markets. As you progress, we’ll prepare you to sit the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Level 1 exam. All successful new joiners will be invited to the Investment Management (IM) Induction & Technical training which will be hosted by the IM Academy, where Investment Professionals train Investment Professionals of the future. The training will provide an introduction the IM functions and equip you with technical knowledge, skills, and behaviours that will enable you to succeed in your role. IM Academy offers something for everyone: from graduate to experienced investment professionals. It is a learning curriculum for developing knowledge, skills, and behaviours. With the Academy, we encourage continuous learning across all asset classes and regions for developing innovation, diversity & capability in IM. Academy Online will provide an additional support with learning resources accessible to everyone. Support is part of our culture, so you’ll have a buddy and a mentor to help you whenever you need. And you’ll join a close-knit early careers community, with plenty of social and networking events to help you find your feet and feel at home.

What We\'re Looking For

It’s who you are that matters here, rather than what you studied. We look for graduates who are highly driven with intellectual curiosity, ambition, resilience, comfort with numeracy, and an absolute commitment to serving the best interests if our clients. And, as we’re an international organisation, we’ll need you to speak English.

We Also Look For

• Thirst for Knowledge - You will be intellectually curious and possess the ability and creativity to collect and analyse a range of information, then use it to make judgements on the prospects of industries.
• Analytical Skills - You will have the ability to undertake often complex research, interpret data and judge the merits of differing opinions, and form insights essential to ensure we make wise investments for our clients - Articulate & Persuasive
• You’ll need the tenacity and confidence to communicate your judgement on whether shares in a company should be bought or sold and justify your thinking (at times with imperfect information).
• Any degree discipline: We welcome applications from all degree disciplines and all academic achievements

We’ll Also Need You To

• Be graduating in 2026 (Bachelor’s or Master’s degree)

Our clients come from all walks of life and so do we. We are proud of our inclusive culture and encourage applications from the widest mix of talent, whatever your age, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, social background and more.

How to Apply

Feeling inspired to start your journey with us? Then take your first step by applying. This programme is open to students in the penultimate year of undergraduate or master’s programme (Class of 2026 preferred). Our application window closes on Sunday, 30th November 2025 at 11:55pm GMT. You are advised to submit your application as early as possible, as we will be recruiting on a rolling basis. Please note that there are online assessments which you’ll need to complete by the time the window closes. This can take around 40 minutes to complete, so make sure you give yourself plenty of time. All assessment centres will take place November/December. As part of our commitment to inclusion, we are a disability-friendly company. As such, we would welcome a conversation with you if you feel you might benefit from any reasonable adjustments to perform to the best of your ability during the recruitment process and beyond. For any enquiries regarding your application, please contact us.