The Best Research Firms for Women

Ranking the most gender-diverse research departments, based on nominations for the 2018 All-America Research Team.

Illustration by II

Illustration by II

So you want to be an analyst — and you’re a woman? Check out Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, where 26 percent of candidates for this year’s All-America Research Team are women, well above the overall average of 11 percent.

This is the fourth year in a row that the firm has had the highest ratio of women among firms with ten or more analysts nominated to the AART. “We’re primarily a homegrown department and promote from within,” says research director Fred Cannon. “We’ve been fortunate to have talented women associates, and we do make an effort to attract women. I think it helps that we’re results-driven and have demonstrated we can be flexible about clocking time in the office.”

Bank of America Merrill Lynch scores well, too, with more than 21 percent of its nominated analysts being female, followed by Japanese investment bank Mizuho Securities, which recently announced the appointment of Susan Gilbertson as director of equity research.

Here are the firms with the most gender-diverse research departments, based on nominations for the 2018 All-America Research Team. Firms with fewer than ten nominated analysts were not included, and a nomination did not necessarily result in a spot on the final AART roster.

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