Below this paragraph is an interview with Jay Hughes, a current student at the University of Leeds, and an insight into the market analysis & research site that he co-founded, Edral Exponential.
What does Edral do and how you acquire the information required for it to run?
Jay explained that the site's main purpose is to run detailed and in-depth market analyses on companies and funds that he and his co-founder (Josh) choose depending on their sector interest. In order to produce the amount of detailed information in their reports, Jay described how they use both quantitative and qualitative information to provide a wide spectrum of analytical material. Edral uses a Python-based coding system to scrape data from API databases, both public and private, which it then presents in an easily manipulatable format that the two analysts can use to build their models and forecast potential price movements. As for the qualitative side of the data, ‘detailed research is readily available online’ according to Jay, allowing them to add another layer to strengthen their presented investment rationales.
What inspired you to create Edral?
As I’m sure is the case with many of our readers, Jay explained how he and Josh wanted to make the most of their time during lockdown earlier in 2020 and decided that they wanted to be proactive in creating something that would benefit both themselves and any users long-term. With both a deep interest in finance and a want to display to potential employers their determination to learn about the industry, they decided to create a valuation website, demonstrating their research skills and abilities. The two students were eager to learn and, after developing their idea, went about increasing their knowledge around the finance applicable elements of Python, using a breadth of online courses and skill building sites. After many months of hard work, Edral Exponential was born.
What has been your biggest challenge so far?
‘Our two biggest challenges have definitely been our initial lack of coding background and the speed at which we’re able to pump out reports.’ Jay told me how, at the beginning of the process, the ability to implement code with little to no background was an issue that needed addressing quickly and efficiently in order to get the site running. Following this, it was a matter of being able to create the reports in a timeframe that meant that the presented data was as up to date with market events as possible. After streamlining their code and working around any technical issues, the pair were able to get to a point where now they can compute all their analysis and create their reports in less than a day! This ability is especially useful to the two students due to both of them being either still in university or on placement working full-time.
What are your plans for the future of Edral Exponential?
Jay outlined the initial steps that the team would like to take is to create partnerships with finance and business societies within the University of Leeds, providing them with a level of quantitative market analysis that would be beneficial to all students, from those just starting out and learning, to those who have a depth of experience and want to deep dive into analyses. Jay also described that, as the site grows and expands, they would like to take on more analysts onto their team, who they would teach valuation techniques and coding methods to in order to make them experienced market researchers. As a future goal, Jay hopes that one day Edral Exponential will be used by industry professionals as a service that will enable them to make investment decisions or create their own research.
If you would like to know more about Edral Exponential, please visit here.
Disclaimer: Edral Exponential is not a registered investment, legal or tax advisor and/or broker. All investment opinions expressed by EdralExponential.com are from the personal research and experience of the owners of this site and are intended for educational material only. Although our best efforts are made to ensure that all information is accurate and up to date, occasionally unintended errors and misprints may occur.
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