The CFA Society of Milwaukee and the CFA Society of Madison announced recently that 10 schools have expressed an interest in participating in this year’s Global Investment Research Challenge. The CFA Investment Research Challenge is a competition in which student teams from the top area business schools write an equity research report on an assigned company and present their findings to a panel of investment industry experts. The winning team will advance to compete in the Americas Regional level of the Global Investment Research Challenge hosted by CFA Institute, to be held in Omaha, NE on April 6-7, 2011.
This annual educational initiative is designed to promote best practices in research among the next generation of analysts through hands-on mentoring and intensive training in company analysis. It complements students’ university curriculum by simulating the ‘real world’ experience of an equity analyst. The Challenge spans one semester, and consists of the following components:
I. Analysis of a Public Company
II. Mentoring By a Professional Research Analyst or Portfolio Manager
III. Writing an Equity Research Report
IV. Presentation of Research to a High-Profile Panel of Experts
Each university chooses one team of 3-5 members to represent it – and both graduate and undergraduate students are eligible. Students must be enrolled in the current term at the university they represent at the time of the local Challenge in March, 2011. CFA Charterholders and students who have significant prior work experience in fundamental company analysis are not eligible. Last year, CFA Institute member societies held local competitions with more than 2000 students from over 425 universities worldwide.
The CFA societies of Milwaukee and Madison have already confirmed the participation of the universities: Marquette University, Carthage, Milwaukee School of Engineering, Carroll University, Valparaiso University, UW-Milwaukee, UW-Oshkosh, UW-Madison, UW-La Crosse, and UW-Whitewater.
The competition will culminate with the 5th Annual Global Investment Research Challenge, to be held in Omaha, Nebraska on April 8, 2010. The Global Challenge consists of the winners of the regional finals held in Asia-Pacific, EMEA, the Americas, and New York. The 2010 winner was the University of the Philippines - Diliman.
“The CFA investment research challenge has been an outstanding applied learning opportunity for our students,” said Dr. David Krause, director the Marquette’s AIM program. “We were very fortunate that our teams advanced to the Americas Regional level of the competition our first two years of participation. We are thankful for the efforts of the Milwaukee and Madison CFA societies for hosting the event which will benefit all of the students who participate. We look forward to participating each year in the truly worthwhile activity.”
