I am an equity analyst covering the Global Retail & Restaurants sector. I’m based in London, U.K.

My background is in fundamental research. At my previous shop – a major global financial institution – I was part of the highly ranked European Consumer Retail team. We employed a bottom-up approach to stock-picking. Although the approach has its merits, it does not, to its detriment, account for technical factors in any meaningful way. This is partly why I find the O’Neil Methodology so powerful; it is all encompassing.

I am an avid traveler. A particularly memorable experience was spending a year of my undergraduate degree abroad studying in Budapest, Hungary. It had a profound impact on how I view the world. The experience required me to put myself out of my comfort zone, embrace a new culture, and learn to trust my instincts. The city itself is gorgeous – arguably the most beautiful in Europe from an architectural point of view. If you ever visit, make sure you try the goulash!

My post-graduate degree was in Economic History. It required an interdisciplinary and evidence-based approach, compelling me to explore past economic phenomena to provide solutions to existing problems. The O’Neil Methodology employs a similar approach to the stock market, so the skills I acquired during my degree come in pretty handy here at William O’Neil.

Graduating college is one of my proudest achievements. I was the first in my family to go to university, so it was a particularly big achievement for me. I still remember the look on my parents’ faces when I went up to collect my certificate. Priceless!

Going to Carnival in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil is on my bucket list. It looks insane. I’m also currently planning a hike through the Lost City in Colombia.

Football, or ‘soccer’ as it’s more affectionately referred to in the States, is one of my passions. I’m a big Chelsea fan. I’ve played competitively since I was 11. I play in the #10 position, just behind the striker. The role requires me to be creative, flamboyant, and forward-thinking. The skills I need to be successful on the soccer field aren’t too dissimilar to what’s required to be a good stock-picker. I often find myself observing play and waiting patiently for an opening, before capitalizing on an opportunity and assisting a teammate to score. Patience, discipline, and timing are important skills for success in the stock market.

The stock market is always somewhere on the spectrum of panic, fear, complacency, greed, or euphoria, but it’s tough to guess where and when the mood will shift, as everything affects it. Over the very long term, the stock market tracks the fundamentals—earnings, cash-flows, and dividends. But over the very short term, it’s a reflection of human behavior and emotions. And that’s why I find it so fascinating.