Business Analyst

Definition: A financial professional who analyzes investments.  They often research the company in depth and issue their recommendation on whether or not you should invest in the company.

TeenAnalyst Advice: Analysts are nice because they analyze companies' stock as their career, so they can devote far more time to research than a typical investor can.  They also publish research reports.  So if you can get your hands on one of these, you'll find lots of information about companies that you might not be able to find on your own. Analysts also issue their opinions of stocks.  However, be cautious, because analysts aren't always right.  And, as you might remember, in the late 1990's, analysts regularly touted stocks that had no future...just because their firm had relations with the company being analyzed.