Jobs › Akuna Capital

Fundamental Equity Analyst

Akuna Capital · Chicago, IL · Trading

Posted Sep 13, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Sep 20, 2026

Apply at Akuna Capital

Likely interview questions for this role

Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.

Behavioral

Walk me through a stock you researched where your view ended up being different from consensus. What did you see that others missed, and how did it play out?

whether the candidate can develop genuinely differentiated views rather than repackaging sell-side consensus

Tell me about a time you pitched an idea to a trader or portfolio manager and they pushed back hard. What happened?

comfort defending a call under aggressive questioning, since this desk operates through open debate

Tell me about a time your research called for taking real risk, not just writing a report. What was on the line, and how did you handle being accountable for the outcome?

appetite for risk and ownership, since this seat is explicitly not a reporting job

Describe a relationship you've built with a sell-side analyst or industry contact that actually changed how you thought about a name.

whether the candidate builds genuine research networks or just collects contacts

Tell me about the last time you were flat-out wrong on a call. What did you miss, and what did you change afterward?

self-awareness and whether mistakes translate into process improvement rather than excuses

Technical

Pick a company you know well and give me your current view on their next earnings print. How would you trade it, and how would you size it if you had to put on a volatility position around it?

depth of live fundamental knowledge and ability to translate a view into a position, not just a stock opinion

How do you think about the difference between a stock being right and a trade being right, especially when you're expressing a view through options instead of just going long or short the equity?

whether the candidate understands that direction alone isn't enough when volatility, timing, and structure also matter

Explain how you'd build a model to estimate the probability distribution of a stock's move around an earnings event, given the options market is already pricing in an implied move.

quantitative rigor and comfort framing fundamental research in terms of probability rather than a single price target

What's your process for tracking a coverage list of names so you're never caught off guard by a guidance change or corporate action?

whether the candidate has a real system for maintaining information edge versus reacting after the fact

How have you used Python, AI tools, or other automation to speed up your research process, and where do you still trust manual work over a shortcut?

practical fluency with tools versus buzzword familiarity, and judgment about where automation helps or hurts

How would you explain implied volatility to someone with a pure fundamental background who has never traded options?

ability to bridge fundamental analysis with options concepts, since the role requires learning to express views in volatility space

Situational

A company you follow just pre-announced a guidance cut twenty minutes before you were about to present a bullish thesis on it in a desk meeting. What do you do in the next ten minutes?

composure and speed of reassessment when new information invalidates prior work in real time

You've built a strong thesis on a name, but the stock keeps moving against you the week before earnings. Do you add to the position, hold, or cut it, and why?

discipline around conviction versus stubbornness when a trade is underwater

If I gave you three tickers right now and fifteen minutes, how would you decide which one has the most interesting setup into its next print?

ability to triage and prioritize under time pressure, a core demand of a fast-moving trading desk

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The full job description

As published by Akuna Capital.

About Akuna:  Akuna Capital is an innovative trading firm with a strong focus on collaboration, cutting-edge technology, data driven solutions, and automation. We specialize in providing liquidity as an options market maker – meaning we are committed to providing competitive quotes that we are willing to both buy and sell. To do this successfully, we design and implement our own low latency technologies, trading strategies, and mathematical models.  Our Founding Partners first conceptualized Akuna in their hometown of Sydney. They opened the firm’s first office in 2011 in the heart of the derivatives industry and the options capital of the world – Chicago. Today, Akuna is proud to operate from additional offices in Sydney, Shanghai, London and Singapore. What you’ll do as a Fundamental Equity Analyst at Akuna:  Akuna's Relative Value desk is one of the firm's newest businesses and its dedicated position-taking desk. While Akuna's core business is providing liquidity, the Relative Value desk takes calculated risk: we express views primarily through volatility positions across index and single-name options, alongside directional exposure, backed by Akuna's proprietary pricing, execution, and data infrastructure. We are seeking a Fundamental Equity Analyst to own research into company earnings, catalysts, and other news. This is not a reporting seat: your research is a direct input to live positioning, and you will be expected to form views, advocate for trades, and be accountable for the quality of your calls. The ideal candidate has 4+ years of equity research experience, an appetite for risk, and the ability to thrive in a dynamic, time-sensitive environment. In this role, you will:  <ul> <li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="7" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"hybridMultilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="1" data-aria-level="1">Conduct deep fundamental research on companies, industries, and corporate events to develop differentiated views the desk can trade</li> <li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="7" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"hybridMultilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="1" data-aria-level="1">Own the desk's information edge by tracking earnings, guidance, corporate actions, and market-moving news so the desk is informed before it matters</li> <li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="7" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"hybridMultilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="1" data-aria-level="1">Analyze event plays with a focus on timing, positioning, and how outcomes map to price and volatility</li> <li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="7" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"hybridMultilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="1" data-aria-level="1">Pitch long/short, volatility, and event-driven trade ideas directly to the desk and defend them in open debate</li> <li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="7" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"hybridMultilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="1" data-aria-level="1">Build the models, sheets, and tooling that power your research process, leveraging AI and Akuna's data and technology stack to multiply your output</li> <li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="7" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"hybridMultilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="1" data-aria-level="1">Build relationships with sell-side analysts, expert networks, and industry contacts to deepen the desk's research access</li> <li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="7" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"hybridMultilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="1" data-aria-level="1">Learn to express fundamental views in options space, developing a working understanding of volatility alongside experienced index and single-name traders </li> </ul> Qualities that make great candidates:  <ul> <li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="8" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="1" data-aria-level="1">4+ years of fundamental equity research experience; buy-side strongly preferred</li> <li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="8" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="1" data-aria-level="1">Bachelor's degree in Finance, Economics, Engineering, Computer Science, or a related/equivalent field</li> <li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="8" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="1" data-aria-level="1">Valuation and financial modeling skills with strong command of Excel</li> <li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="8" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="1" data-aria-level="1">A genuine passion for investing and a desire to ultimately take risk and see your research end in positions</li> <li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="8" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="1" data-aria-level="1">Equity options experience a plus</li> <li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="8" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="1" data-aria-level="1">Python or other programming skills, fluency with incorporating AI tools into a research workflow a plus</li> <li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="8" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="1" data-aria-level="1">Strong written and oral communication skills</li> <li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="8" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="1" data-aria-level="1">Entrepreneurial self-starter ready to work in a fast paced, team environment</li> <li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="8" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="1" data-aria-level="1">The ability to react quickly and accurately to rapidly changing market conditions, including the ability to quickly and accurately respond and/or solve math and coding problems are essential functions of the role</li> </ul> In addition to technical skillsets, Akuna values the unique perspectives people can bring to the table to collaboratively solve complex problems and drive Akuna forward. We want everyone to feel empowered to apply. We welcome your application and encourage you to take the first steps toward your future with us! In accordance with Illinois Equal Pay Act, the minimum base salary starts at $145,000. Exact compensation offered may vary based on many factors including, but not limited to, the candidate’s experience, qualifications, and skill set. This role is also eligible for a discretionary performance bonus as part of the total compensation package and includes a comprehensive benefits package that may encompass employer-paid medical, dental, vision, retirement contributions, paid time off, and other benefits. The minimum base salary herein was determined in good faith by Akuna Capital LLC.

Apply at Akuna Capital

Fundamental Equity Analyst

Likely interview questions for this role

Practice this interview out loud.

The full job description

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