The 2027 UBS Video Interview for Global Equity Research tests whether you understand the department as more than a report factory. Research creates value when rigorous analysis becomes an independent view that a client can examine, challenge, and use.
The actual interview question
Here is the complete wording:
What do you see as the role of the research department in an investment bank?
How you lose points
- Saying research predicts share prices: A price target is an output, not the full purpose or process.
- Calling it information collection: Public facts only become useful when the analyst tests drivers, assumptions, and implications.
- Ignoring the audience: Research must help clients understand a company, industry, risk, or debate well enough to make a decision.
- Confusing research with deal execution: The answer should respect independence, compliance, and information barriers.
- Listing tasks without judgment: Models, calls, and reports matter because they support a differentiated and defensible view.
How you pass
Start with the outcome. The research department develops evidence-based views on companies, sectors, and market themes so clients can make better-informed decisions. It identifies the drivers that matter, estimates how they affect performance and valuation, and communicates both the conclusion and the uncertainty.
Then explain the process. Analysts gather and test information, build forecasts, compare valuation methods, examine scenarios, and update the thesis when evidence changes. Strong research separates facts from assumptions and makes the path from evidence to recommendation visible.
For a hypothetical example, assume an analyst studies a retailer facing weaker demand. The analyst could separate traffic, pricing, mix, and margin effects, test management guidance against industry evidence, and show how each scenario changes valuation. This example is hypothetical and does not describe UBS research.
- Define the decision-useful purpose of research.
- Explain how analysts turn evidence into forecasts and valuation.
- Show why differentiated judgment matters.
- Recognise independence, compliance, and clear disclosure.
- Connect timely communication with client decisions.
The strongest answer treats research as an accountable argument. The conclusion matters, but the quality of the evidence and the honesty of the uncertainty matter more.
Get the ones for your role
This is one question from the UBS Global Equity Research assessment. OfferTutoring has the complete questions for the role so you can prepare the full interview with the same level of precision.
