TD Securities technology analyst Chris Umiastowski is moving on after 10 years on the sell side. On his blog, Mr. Umiastowski said he will still be very engaged in the tech world, just from a different perspective.
"It's far too early to start talking about exactly what's next … but one thing is for sure: I've still got the same passion for talking about tech stocks that I've always had," he said. "Instead of publishing PDF reports with formal recommendations, I'll write blog posts. Or I'll pull out my trusty little HD camera and record my thoughts. I expect it to be quite liberating." (Here's a link to his brand-new blog. Mr. Umiastowski will be familiar to many investors for his calls on stocks like Research In Motion Ltd. and Aastra Technologies .
He's looking forward to taking on more than just his coverage list, he notes in his first blog post, which gives a picture of what it's like to be an analyst and the strictures that come with it.
"When you are publishing thoughts under the confines of an investment bank you get kinda boxed in. As a tech analyst, it wouldn't have been appropriate for me to write about my thoughts on the Telecom sector, for example. As a guy who was covering RIM, I had to stay away from making comments about Apple or Nokia stocks. I could write about them only from the perspective of being RIM competitors."
Similarly, it was hard to be fully into social media, because some things wouldn't be appropriate.
Still, it's a fond farewell, he said.
"I'm certainly not knocking the industry either. It was AWESOME for pretty much the entire 10+ years that I worked it. Truly. But now it's time to do something different."
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