UBS Equity Research Video Interview: The Role of Research

The 2027 UBS Video Interview for Global Equity Research assesses whether you see the department as something more than a report-producing unit. Research generates value when disciplined analysis is transformed into an independent perspective that a client can scrutinize, question, and apply.

What do you see as the role of the research department in an investment bank?

How you lose points

• Claiming that research forecasts share prices: a price target is a result, not the entire objective or the process itself.
• Describing it as information gathering: publicly available facts only become valuable once an analyst examines the underlying drivers, assumptions, and consequences.
• Overlooking the audience: research needs to help clients understand a company, an industry, a risk, or a debate well enough to reach a decision.
• Mistaking research for deal execution: a strong answer should acknowledge independence, compliance, and information barriers.
• Reciting tasks without exercising judgment: models, calls, and reports matter because they underpin a differentiated and defensible view.

How you pass

Begin with the outcome. The research department formulates evidence-based perspectives on companies, sectors, and market themes so that clients can make better-informed choices. It pinpoints the drivers that matter, assesses how they influence performance and valuation, and communicates both the conclusion and the uncertainty surrounding it.

Then describe the process. Analysts collect and scrutinize information, construct forecasts, evaluate different valuation approaches, explore scenarios, and revise their thesis as new evidence emerges. High-quality research distinguishes facts from assumptions and makes the route from evidence to recommendation transparent.

As a hypothetical illustration, suppose an analyst examines a retailer confronting weakening demand. The analyst might disentangle the effects of traffic, pricing, mix, and margin, test management guidance against industry evidence, and demonstrate how each scenario alters valuation. This example is hypothetical and does not describe UBS research.

• Define the decision-useful purpose of research.
• Explain how analysts convert evidence into forecasts and valuation.
• Show why differentiated judgment matters.
• Recognise independence, compliance, and clear disclosure.
• Connect timely communication with client decisions.

The most compelling answer treats research as an accountable argument. The conclusion matters, but the calibre of the evidence and the candour about uncertainty matter even more.