400+ Analyst Interview Questions and Answers for Freshers

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) regulates markets in the US. Their responsibilities include enforcing federal securities laws, protecting investors, and maintaining fair and orderly markets.

• The SEC is responsible for overseeing securities exchanges such as the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and NASDAQ.

• They enforce laws such as the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

• The SEC also regulates investment advisers, mutual funds, and other inv...read more

Covariance measures the relationship between two variables. It measures sensitivity by indicating the direction of the relationship.

• Covariance is a statistical measure that shows how two variables are related to each other.

• It measures the direction of the relationship between two variables.

• A positive covariance indicates that the two variables move in the same direction.

• A negative covariance indicates that the two variables move in opposite directions.

• Volatility is a measure ...read more

Financial ratios are tools used to evaluate a company's financial performance and health.

• Financial ratios are calculated using data from a company's financial statements.

• They help investors and analysts assess a company's profitability, liquidity, efficiency, and solvency.

• A good number for a financial ratio can vary depending on the industry and company size.

• For example, a current ratio of 2 or higher is generally considered good, indicating a company has enough current asset...read more

Azure, AWS, and GCP are cloud computing platforms with differences in services, pricing, and market share.

• Azure is developed by Microsoft and is known for its strong integration with Windows-based systems.

• AWS is the oldest and most widely used cloud platform, offering a wide range of services and a pay-as-you-go pricing model.

• GCP, developed by Google, is known for its strong data analytics and machine learning capabilities.

• All three platforms offer similar services such as vi...read more

Find the magic number in a sorted array where value and index are same.

• Iterate through the array and check if the value and index are same

• If found, return the value

• If not found, return -1

CPI stands for Consumer Price Index, not the same as Grade Point Average (GPA).

• CPI is a measure of the average change over time in the prices paid by urban consumers for a market basket of consumer goods and services.

• It is used to track inflation and price changes in the economy.

• GPA, on the other hand, is a measure of academic performance and represents a student's average grade point across courses.

• CPI and GPA are completely different concepts and have no relation to each ot...read more

Martingale is a betting strategy that doubles the bet after each loss. Markov process is a stochastic process with memorylessness.

• Martingale is a betting strategy where the gambler doubles their bet after each loss, with the hope of eventually winning and recouping all previous losses.

• Markov process is a stochastic process where the future state depends only on the present state, not on the past.

• Martingale is not a Markov process because it depends on the history of the bets ...read more

I am a quick learner and can pick up a new programming language or technology within a few weeks.

• I have a strong foundation in programming concepts and principles.

• I am familiar with multiple programming languages and can draw parallels to learn new ones.

• I am proactive in seeking out resources and practice opportunities.

• For example, I recently learned Python in about 3 weeks by taking an online course and practicing on my own.

• I am confident in my ability to quickly adapt to ne...read more

Measuring blocks puzzle involves arranging blocks of different lengths to form a specific shape or pattern.

• Identify the different lengths of the blocks provided.

• Determine the shape or pattern that needs to be formed.

• Arrange the blocks in the correct order to match the desired shape or pattern.

• Ensure that the blocks are aligned properly to create the shape or pattern.

Azure resources can be created through Azure portal, Azure CLI, Azure PowerShell, ARM templates, and Azure Resource Manager.

• Azure portal: User-friendly interface for creating and managing Azure resources.

• Azure CLI: Command-line tool for managing Azure resources.

• Azure PowerShell: PowerShell cmdlets for Azure resource management.

• ARM templates: Infrastructure as code for defining Azure resources.

• Azure Resource Manager: Service for managing resources in Azure.

Capital market, money markets, money market instruments, derivatives and types of derivatives explained.

• Capital market refers to the market for long-term securities such as stocks and bonds.

• Money market refers to the market for short-term securities such as treasury bills and commercial paper.

• Money market instruments are short-term debt securities with high liquidity and low risk.

• Derivatives are financial instruments whose value is derived from an underlying asset or security...read more

Expected number of tosses of a fair coin to get 3 consecutive heads.

• The probability of getting 3 consecutive heads is 1/8

• The expected number of tosses to get 3 consecutive heads is 14

• This can be calculated using the formula E(X) = 2^k + 2^(k-1) + 2^(k-2) + ... + 2^2 + 2^1 + 2^0, where k is the number of consecutive heads required

Capital market is a platform where companies and governments raise funds through financial instruments like stocks, bonds, and derivatives.

• Capital market is a market for long-term investments

• It includes stock markets, bond markets, and derivatives markets

• Companies and governments raise funds through issuing stocks and bonds

• Investors buy and sell these financial instruments to earn profits

• Examples of financial instruments are stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and options

• Capital mar...read more

The pseudocode will result in a compilation error due to incorrect printf format specifier.

• The printf function has two format specifiers but only one argument is provided.

• The first format specifier '%0' is incorrect and will result in a compilation error.

• The correct format specifier for printing an integer in hexadecimal format is '%x'.

Accounting entries for purchase and sale of a depreciating asset

• Purchase: Debit the asset account and credit the cash/bank account

• Purchase: Debit the depreciation expense account and credit the accumulated depreciation account

• Sale: Debit the cash/bank account and credit the asset account

• Sale: Debit the accumulated depreciation account, debit the gain/credit the loss on sale account, and credit the asset account

Assign tasks based on past performance by analyzing employee's strengths and weaknesses.

• Analyze employee's past performance data

• Identify their strengths and weaknesses

• Assign tasks that align with their strengths

• Provide training or support for areas of weakness

• Regularly review and adjust task assignments based on performance

• Consider employee preferences and career goals

I would remain calm, seek clarification, and focus on constructive feedback to improve my performance and maintain professionalism.

• Stay calm: Instead of reacting emotionally, take a deep breath and maintain composure.

• Seek clarification: Politely ask for specific feedback on what went wrong to understand the issue better.

• Focus on solutions: Shift the conversation towards how to rectify the mistake and prevent it in the future.

• Maintain professionalism: Respond respectfully, reg...read more

ArrayList and Vector are both dynamic arrays, but Vector is synchronized and slower. Traversing a Vector is similar to an ArrayList.

• ArrayList is not synchronized, while Vector is synchronized.

• ArrayList is faster than Vector, but Vector is thread-safe.

• To traverse a Vector, we can use a for loop or an iterator, similar to an ArrayList.

• Example: Vector v = new Vector<>(); for(String s : v) { //do something }

To deny access to a user in Linux, you can use the 'usermod' command to lock the account. To check how many users are logged in, you can use the 'who' command.

• To deny access to a user, use 'usermod -L username' to lock the account

• To check how many users are logged in, use the 'who' command

• You can also use the 'w' command to see who is logged in and what they are doing

Using only 3,3,8,8 and +,-,*,/ operators, make 24.

• There are multiple ways to solve this puzzle.

• One possible solution is: 8 / (3 - 8/3) = 24

• Another solution is: (8 * 3) - (8 / 3) = 24

• Remember to follow the order of operations (PEMDAS).

C language is important for its efficiency and low-level programming capabilities, with real-time applications in embedded systems and operating systems.

• C is a low-level language that allows for direct memory manipulation and efficient code execution.

• Real-time applications include embedded systems like microcontrollers and operating systems like Unix.

• C is also used in game development, system programming, and scientific computing.

• C's popularity has led to the creation of many...read more

Some games lack a Nash equilibrium, leading to unpredictable outcomes and strategic complexities.

• In a 2x2 matrix game, players may have strategies that lead to no stable outcome.

• Example: If both players choose to defect in a Prisoner's Dilemma, they both end up worse off.

• Another example is the 'Battle of the Sexes' where players prefer different outcomes, leading to multiple equilibria but no stable one.

• Games like 'Matching Pennies' show that players can never settle on a str...read more

NatWest is expanding its presence in India through digital banking, partnerships, and supporting local businesses.

• NatWest is focusing on digital banking solutions to cater to the tech-savvy Indian market.

• The bank has established partnerships with local fintech companies to enhance service offerings.

• NatWest is involved in supporting small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in India through funding and advisory services.

• The bank is also exploring opportunities in sustainable finance...read more

A call option is a financial contract that gives the buyer the right, but not the obligation, to buy an underlying asset at a predetermined price within a specified time period.

• Call options are bought by investors who believe that the price of the underlying asset will rise in the future.

• The buyer of a call option pays a premium to the seller for the right to buy the asset at a predetermined price, known as the strike price.

• If the price of the asset rises above the strike pri...read more

Finding missing symbol/visual in a grid based on rule-based logic in 6 minutes.

• Analyze the given symbols and their placement in the grid

• Identify the pattern or rule that governs the placement of symbols

• Apply the rule to the empty space to find the missing symbol

• Time management is crucial

• Practice with similar puzzles to improve deductive logical thinking skills

A thief operating in shopping can earn anywhere from a few thousand to millions of dollars per year depending on their tactics and location.

• The thief's location and the type of stores they target will greatly impact their earnings

• Factors such as the thief's level of experience, skill, and risk-taking behavior will also play a role in their earnings

• Some thieves may work alone while others may operate in organized groups, which can also impact their earnings

• The thief's tactics ...read more