Emerging human capital analytics for investment processes

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to respond to the increasing pressure on financial markets to more systematically value the intangible assets in listed firms.Design/methodology/approach – Using qualitative research techniques on the trading floor of Merrill Lynch Investment Bank in Sydney and Hong Kong, four tools for human capital analysis have been developed by the authors.Findings – These tools provide mechanisms for securities analysts to more systematically analyse the intangible aspects of publicly listed firms on global stock exchanges.Research limitations/implications – Given the complex regulatory requirements on securities analysts in many developed economies, these tools are predicated on analysts using publicly available information.Originality/value – Specifically, the tools use a systems approach and can assist securities analysts to be more systematic in their analysis of management quality of publicly listed companies, as it is manifested in a firm's management systems.