Equity Research Analyst Internship (Summer 2026)

Location: The position is based in Deerfield, IL, with flexibility to do some hybrid work from our Chicago, IL office.

This position is intended to be full-time (40 hours/week) during Summer 2026.

The Core Equity strategy is a 30-40 stock portfolio of growing, competitively advantaged, well-managed businesses, purchased per our valuation discipline, and which we intend to own for multi-year periods. The goal of Core Equity is to compound wealth through good performance over the long-term. The investment strategy’s inception dates back to 1997, and it is utilized by both internal and external clients.

The Core Equity Team operates as a team of generalist equity investors that utilize a bottom-up, fundamental, research-driven security selection process and patient decision making to construct a concentrated portfolio of holdings. 

Position Summary

The intern will work with senior investment team members to identify and research investment ideas in publicly listed U.S. companies across sectors.  You will work on industry and business analyses via in-depth fundamental research, employing financial analysis and modeling to estimate stock values.  You will build logical investment cases, draft investment reports, and practice making recommendations to the team.

This is an opportunity to work with and learn from a high-performing investment team where one can bring meaningful individual contributions to the investment process.  Exemplary performance has the potential to result in a full-time offer of employment.

Primary Responsibilities

• Identify key merits and risks with investment ideas and conduct the required research to arrive at portfolio decisions.
• Conduct interviews with management and industry representatives.
• Perform detailed financial analyses and modeling to derive assessments of business values.
• Clearly communicate conclusions to the team and other stakeholders to build support for investment ideas. Articulate the fundamentals of investment cases.

Preferred Qualifications

• Currently pursuing a master’s degree in finance, economics, business, or a related field.
• Expected graduation date between December 2026 and Spring 2027
• Progress or completion of the CFA curriculum
• Demonstrated integrity, teamwork, and strong oral and written communication skills
• Genuine interest in long-term, valuation-based investing, shown through prior experience, coursework, or extracurricular involvement
• Foundational understanding of business strategy, accounting, financial analysis, and corporate valuation
• High degree of intellectual curiosity and passion for the investment profession
• Strong academic performance and a consistent record of achievement
• Candidates must have permanent authorization to work in the U.S.

Application Process

To be considered for this opportunity, please submit the following materials via the application link:

1. Resume
2. Cover Letter
3. Work Sample
   1. Please submit a brief report (1–5 pages, PDF or Word) that demonstrates your analytical thinking. You may choose either:
      1. A stock thesis or investment memo analyzing a publicly traded company, or
      2. An academic or professional report (e.g., market analysis, business case study).

This is a non-exempt position. The hourly pay for this role is expected to be $35-$40/hour. Actual pay could vary based on factors including but not limited to experience, subject matter expertise, geographic location where work will be performed, and the applicant's skill set. Candidate information, including education and work experience, is verified upon an offer of employment. Falsification of application information may be grounds for denying employment.

Focus is a leading partnership of fiduciary wealth management and related financial services firms. Focus provides access to best practices, greater resources, and continuity planning for its affiliated advisory firms, which serve individuals, families, employers, and institutions with comprehensive financial services. Focus firms and their clients benefit from the solutions, synergies, scale, economics, and best practices offered by Focus to achieve their business objectives. For more information about Focus, please visit www.focusfinancialpartners.com.

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