Hi All
I am new to investing and was searching around for a way to learn.
However, I couldn’t find a definitive training course that was targeted at the private retail investor. Particularly one with a UK focus. I wanted to learn how to do fundamental analysis of stocks.
Steve Clapham has created an online course called “Analyst Academy”at Behind The Balance Sheet that gives you a step by step guide to what a hedge fund analyst would do when finding and analysing stocks.
The content of the course is broken down into modules focusing on accounts, investment philosophy, valuation and many more.
Steve also does a Forensic Accounting course for professional analysts and there are reviews on his website from fund managers such as Baillie Gifford for this course and others. Steve has 30 years experience in the industry and was formally a sell side analyst.
I am really enjoying the course and am approximately half way through. It lasts a year and requires 3 hours a week work in my opinion (at least). Steve goes out of his way to help you get the most out of it.
You would have to be fluent in the language of business and have some knowledge of accounting.
The accounting section of the course ,in particular, is tricky in places, however, follow up webinars are there to help answer any questions. There is also a Behind The Balance Sheet Club where people can post ideas.
The course is quite new so some of the content is a work in progress. Also it is definitely aimed more towards those of a value investing persuasion with lots of reading material about Ben Graham, Walter Schloss, Warren Buffet etc. (which I love).
There is a module on technical analysis which I haven’t yet completed but this course would be aimed at long term, bottom up investors far more than traders.
It also has complicated elements in the accounts section that a professional analyst would do. However, I think most retail investors would decide long before then that, if it is that difficult for us to understand the accounts, then this company needs to go into the “too hard pile”.
Would be interesting to hear what other investors have done to get started or if any of you have views about Behind The Balance Sheet or other courses?
