• Excel: a free spreadsheet-based Microsoft software for data analysis purposes 
  1. Contains several features to incorporate data and information while also acting as your financial calculator 
  2. You can complete complex and large calculations for vast data inputting just a few inputs into the given functions 
  3. Can create several graphs and pivot tables, helping to highlight any underlying trends in the data set you’re analyzing

• Powerpoint: another free Microsoft software giving users the ability to make creative slideshows to present their findings for whatever they choose
  1. Users can play around with fonts, colours, themes, transitions, animations, images, layouts and much more to create a wonderful presentation

• Power B.I.: a Microsoft software that incorporates a vast amount and variety of data, allowing the user to create interactive reports, visualizations and dashboards to track, follow, and compare what they need to 
  1. Has a free version, premium and pro version with added features for each
  2. Along with creating several graphs and charts to follow, you can examine What-if Scenarios simply by dragging a slider across your screen
  3. You can also literally type in the question you need an answer to (ex. Total sales per month) and the software will give you an answer, along with giving suggestions to add into the question 
  4. Generally great for data analysis as it compiles several databases and servers 

• Capital IQ: a paid subscription-based platform to collect information on the companies in the S&P500 and the general market along with several tools for data analytics and research 
  1. The S&P500 is a market index meaning it is a collection and summarization of the top performing 500 companies 
  2. It provides research, data and analysis on many private and public companies to aid professionals with financial modelling and decision making
  3. Commonly used for screening, quantitative research, developing investment targets, building excel models, analyzing credit risk, managing risk and exposure and general data analysis
     1. Credit risk: the risk associated with giving someone a loan (ie. the chance that they will default on the loan and not pay it back)
  4. Best for anyone wanting quick access to real-time data, and has an interest to source market data (with click-through functionality) and conduct data scrubbing (going through reports and footnotes to determine how figures such as the EBITDA and net income were derived)
     1. Click-through functionality: ability to click through documents to source the data
  5. Capital IQ Excel PlugIn: a feature allowing you to derive financial information from Capital IQ and input it directly into your spreadsheets, allowing professionals to build their financial models accurately and quickly

• Factset: a software that incorporates market information and financial data from many different resources into one common platform that users can analyze using the many features embedded within
  1. Provides users with instant access to financial data and analytics to aid making financial decisions
  2. Also includes click through data and data scrubbing abilities

• Bloomberg: though less commonly used by investment bankers, it is still a popular paid software that provides financial information along with several financial and enterprise tools including financial news, data analytics and equity trading platforms and data services
  1. Predominantly used for sales and trading functions, especially by buy and sell-side analysts
  2. Particularly known for its fixed income data (and the speed at which it is consistently updated)
  3. Is accompanied by a popular Instant Messaging service, popular among many traders 

The Bottom Line:

These are all very useful data analytics softwares used by industry professionals to analyze market data and make important investment decisions throughout their careers. Learning how to use these softwares will benefit you significantly not only in the sense of giving you additional qualifications for your career, but also improving the quality of your work and making your life easier!