The Marquette students, who are seniors, presented their investment research on Marcus Corporation (ticker: MCS). They won the local CFA Challenge competition for the fourth straight year. The students are:
· Jacob Bear
· Harrison Davis
· Colleen Osborne
· Bronson Wetsch
· Alice Wycklendt
Unique Opportunity for Students Worldwide
The CFA Institute Research Challenge offers students the unique opportunity to learn from leading industry experts and compete with peers from the world’s top finance programs. This annual educational initiative promotes best practices in equity research among the next generation of analysts through hands-on mentoring and intensive training in company analysis and presentation skills.
The Challenge gathers students, investment industry professionals, publicly traded companies, and corporate sponsors together locally, regionally, and globally for a real world competition. Participation in the Challenge promotes best practices in equity research and company analysis, as students research, analyze, and report on a company as if they are practicing analysts. Additionally, all participants are introduced to and held to the standard of the CFA Institute Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct.
How the Challenge Works
Local CFA societies, CFA Institute, and other organizations host and launch a local Research Challenge in conjunction with their participating universities. The universities assemble teams of 3-5 business and finance students who work directly with a company in researching and preparing a company analysis. The team’s final presentations are locally evaluated by high-profile panels of heads of research, portfolio managers, and chief investment officers from the world’s top firms. The local champions advance to regional competitions in the Americas, Asia, and Europe and then to the Global Finale.
Challenge Components
Analysis of a Public Company
Teams research a publicly traded company. Company management presents to the teams and participates in a Q&A session.
Mentoring By a Professional Research Analyst
Each team works with an investment professional, who mentors the team on research process and reviews and critiques its report.
Writing a Research Report
Each team produces an initiation of coverage report on its chosen company. The report is reviewed and scored by a group of judges.
Presentation of Research to a High-Profile Panel of Experts
Teams present their research to a panel of experts from top financial institutions. The team with the highest combined report and presentation score is the winner.
Advancement to the Global Final
The winners of local competitions advance to compete against teams within their geographic region, culminating in a global finale competition.