AIM CFA Research Team Semi-Final Round in the Americas Region on Wednesday, April 13, 2016

In the PDR1 Room of the Hilton Chicago the following teams are competing in the semi-final round of the Americas CFA Research Challenge tomorrow morning:

• 8:15 Marquette University
• 8:45 Indiana University Southeast
• 9:15 Seattle University
• 9:45 Barna Business School
• 10:15 Universidad Externado de Columbia

The results as to who will be advanced to the final round of the Americas Regional competition (to be held in the Continental B Room at 4:00) will be announced at 1:30 following the lunch and advancement ceremony.

Marquette AIM students will be heading to Chicago this week to compete in the Americas' CFA Institute Research Challenge

For the 7th Time in 8 Years Marquette’s AIM Program Has Advanced a Team to the Americas’ Level of the CFA Research Challenge

APRIL 2016

MILWAUKEE – In February the Applied Investment Management (AIM) team from Marquette University won the Madison round of the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Institute’s Annual Research Challenge, finishing first against teams from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (Applied Security Analysis Program), University of Wisconsin-Whitewater (Applied Investments Program), and another AIM team from Marquette University.

This marks the seventh time in the past eight years that Marquette’s AIM Program has advanced a team to the Americas’ Level of the CFA Research Challenge.

The Americas’ and Global Finals are hosted by CFA Institute and will be held in Chicago beginning on April 12. The winner from each local competition from around the world advanced to one of the three regional competitions. The winner from each regional competition (held on Wednesday, April 13) will advance to the CFA Global finals (held on Thursday, April 14 at 5:30 CST). The event is being held at the Hilton Chicago and additional information can be obtained at the CFA Institute Research Challenge website.

The CFA Institute Research Challenge is an annual global competition that provides university students with hands-on mentoring and intensive training in financial analysis. Student teams work to research and analyze a publicly traded company, write a research report highlighted by a buy, sell, or hold recommendation, and then present and defend their findings to a panel of industry experts.

 

Conor Connelly, Ryan Woo, Joanne Wycklendt, Paul Tran, and Michael Reardon

Team members include Conor Connelly, Michael Reardon, Paul Tran, Ryan Woo and Joanne Wycklendt. Providing coaching to the team is faculty advisor Dr. David Krause, AIM program director, and industry mentor, Travis Keshemberg.


The CFA Institute's Research Challenge is celebrating its 10th anniversary and they are bringing the 106 university teams from across the globe (including Marquette's AIM team members) to Chicago for the regional and global championship. This year there were more than 950 teams that participated in the CFA Research Challenge. 

In conjunction with the CFA Research Challenge, the CFA Institute is also offering students the opportunity to participate in the ENGAGE® International Investment Education Symposium on Thursday, April 14. The CFA Challenge Global final, featuring the top university regional teams, will immediately follow the symposium.

Dr. Krause said, “In addition to the AIM team competing in the Americas CFA Challenge - we’re looking forward to the ENGAGE student academic conference. In April we are planning to bring at least ten other AIM program students to the Challenge and conference."

James Bianco

"The lineup looks to be outstanding with many high-profile speakers who are among the best and the brightest in the US corporate, government, and financial industry. We especially are looking forward to Jim Bianco’s presentation. Jim is a Marquette graduate and former student of mine – his research is highly regarded and his frequent appearances on CNBC and Bloomberg are a testament to his expertise. It should be a fun and informative week for our students in Chicago.”

 

 

Another Set of AIM Students in the Class of 2017 Delivered Equity Presentations on Friday, April 8, 2016

On April 8, 2016, Seven Students in the AIM Class of 2017 Pitched the Second Set of Stocks

   

Nick Dykema pitched Methode Electronics

Over 50 students in the AIM Room attended the second set of equity pitches delivered by the Class of 2017 in the AIM Room on Friday. The seven AIM student presentations also were viewed on-line via a webcast by more than 15 alumni and family members across North America.

These presentations also included the opportunity for real-time micro-blogging (via Twitter). During the AIM student equity pitches on Friday more than 20 questions and comments were posted at #AIMpitch at the @MarquetteAIM Twitter site.

Jaclyn Godwin presented Allianz

The presenting students have the opportunity to respond to the questions over the weekend before the students vote on whether or not to add the stocks they pitched. The student equity pitches have always been one of the main highlights of the AIM program and the new class did a solid job.

The opportunity for students to actively manage domestic and international equity portfolios has been an important part of Marquette AIM program’s experiential learning. The AIM students who presented on Friday included (Student Name, Fund and Sector, Company Name, and Ticker): 

• Derek Grifka International Industrials   BAE Systems ADR  (BAESY)
• Tyler Sucharzewski International Healthcare   Flamel Technologies SA  (FLML)
• Jaclyn Godwin   International Financial Services  Allianz Se  (AZSEY)
• Casey McClelland   Energy    Carrizo Oil & Gas Inc.   (CRZO)
• Andrew Szyman     Healthcare    Emergent BioSolutions Inc.   (EBS)
• Jack O’Connor   Healthcare    Ensign Group, Inc.  (ENSG)
• Nick Dykema    Technology  Methode Electronics, Inc.  (MEI)

 Their AIM equity write-ups can be accessed at: AIM_Equity_Write_Ups_4_8_16.pdf.

Casey McClelland pitched CRZO

  Copies of all student presentations since the inception of the AIM program can be viewed at the AIM web site.

On April 10th, Mike Rice Visited Dr. Krause's AIM and Alternative Investments Classes

Mike Rice (AIM Alumnus) Visited Marquette Last Week

Mike Rice of RCP Advisors

Mike Rice is a Senior Associate of Business Development with RCP Advisors. The firm is  a private equity investment management firm that provides access to North American lower middle market private equity fund managers through funds-of-funds, secondary funds, and co-investment funds as well as advisory services and research. RCP generally works with buyout fund managers with funds of between $200 million and $1 billion in committed capital. These fund managers then seek to invest in lower middle sized companies - typically, with $10 million to $250 million in enterprise value.

Mike visited the students in the AIM program and also presented to Dr. Krause’s Alternative Investments class. This is the fifth year that he visited campus and talked about private equity investing with Krause’s finance students. 

Mike Rice and Dr. David Krause

Dr. Krause said, “Like so many of the other speakers we bring on to campus, Mike is able to relate to the students. I know that they gained a lot of practical knowledge, as well as learned more about private equity investments.”

At RCP Partners he is responsible for supporting the business development function of the Firm. This includes sourcing investment opportunities as well as overseeing the Firm’s fundraising efforts. Prior to RCP, Mike worked as an Analyst with Barclays Capital’s Institutional Equity Sales group, where he was responsible for covering hedge fund and mutual fund clients throughout the Midwest.

He received a BS in Finance and Accounting from Marquette University and was a member of the Applied Investment Management (AIM) Program. He is an active member of the Evans Scholar Foundation’s Leadership Council.