Core Frequently asked InternAnalystAssociate

Pitch me a stock.

What the interviewer is testing

Conviction backed by analysis, structure, and how you handle push-back — common in sales & trading, research and buy-side interviews.

Answer it out loud first

Take 30–60 seconds, as you would in the room. Then compare with the model answer.

 Show the model answer
In the interview — the 30-second answer

Give a clear recommendation in one sentence — buy or sell, the target price and the time frame. Then two or three reasons the market is mispricing it, with numbers; the valuation that supports the target; the catalysts that will close the gap; and the main risks and what would change your mind. Pick a company you know deeply, ideally not the most famous one.

The full answer

A structure that works

  1. The call: "I'd buy X at €42 with a 12-month target of €55 — 30% upside."
  2. What the company does (one or two sentences) and the key numbers.
  3. The thesis — why the market is wrong (two or three points): margins will expand as a new plant ramps up; consensus underestimates a segment; the balance sheet is stronger than it looks.
  4. Valuation: today's multiple vs peers and history, and what multiple or DCF your target implies.
  5. Catalysts: results, product launches, disposals, regulation — with dates.
  6. Risks: what could go wrong and how much downside there is.

How to prepare

  • Know the last results, the share-price chart, consensus estimates and the biggest shareholders.
  • Have a long and a short idea ready.
  • Expect the interviewer to argue the other side — defend with facts, concede gracefully where they're right.

Mistakes to avoid

  • Pitching a mega-cap everyone knows, with no view different from consensus.

  • No catalysts or no risks.

Follow-ups they may ask

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