The CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) Institute Research Challenge is an annual global competition that provides university students with hands-on mentoring and intensive training in financial analysis and professional ethics. Each student is tested on their analytical, valuation, report writing, and presentation skills. They gain real-world experience as they assume the role of a research analyst.
The Pamplin School of Business (PSOB) team presented so well to the point that the first comment from one of the judges that came after the team’s presentation was, “The presentation was so clear and concise I am having difficulty thinking of questions.”
Team PSOB narrowly lost by one point and OSU went on the win the competition. University of Portland’s team was one of the best, if not the best, teams with their valuation model and assumptions. Congratulations to team PSOB! We are highlighting their accomplishments in this Q&A.
Q&A with Team PSOB
~Contributed by Veronica Toccaceli
Who participated?
Riley Higgins, Santino Manglona, Max Daniels, Veronica Toccaceli
What was the competition all about?
The CFA Equity Research challenge is an equity research competition with over 1,000 universities competing all around the globe. The local CFA society assigns each university team a company that the team will analyze.
This year it was Columbia Banking Systems. The teams craft a 10-page report on the company, supporting a buy, sell or hold recommendation. The teams are tasked with presenting their findings and defending their position in front of a panel of judges.
Why did you decide to participate?
The decision to participate in this competition stemmed from the desire to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge acquired in the classroom and its practical application in the real world. By diving into research head-on, we seized the opportunity to work in a practical context, with the added benefit of being in contact with industry experts.
We saw that the potential for networking with professionals and peers alike, as well as gaining invaluable insights into the journey toward becoming a CFA charterholder, was further fuel for us and gave us even more motivation to do our best.
What was the best part of getting involved?
As we were in the very midst of the competition, the most rewarding benefit was undoubtedly the collaborative effort within our team, as we had to fire on all cylinders to compete at such a high level. We are all very proud of how hard we worked, and our shared sense of purpose fostered a fun and dynamic team environment that pushed us though hours of flipping through statements and earning calls in Shiley. Additionally, presenting our research and receiving feedback from experts was so very rewarding and insightful. As students, the fact that we could interact with judges and fellow competitors was invaluable. It felt much like a backstage pass, where we were able to recognize and appreciate other’s accomplishments.
What lessons did you learn?
This challenge was in fact challenging, and we could write a whole book of lessons learned. The multifaceted nature of the endeavor, encompassing goal setting, planning, and meeting deadlines, all required a high level of commitment, effective coordination, and teamwork.
We gained a deeper understanding of financial theory and analysis, and how to effectively convey findings not just in a clear way, but in a way that can tell a story. Embracing the iterative process of learning, we navigated through challenges, recognizing that setbacks were integral to the journey toward achieving our final product.
We also learned that the best story is the one we want to tell. Once we started making sense of all the numbers and data, we were able to be more creative and find our voice, which ultimately set us apart from other groups.
We all honed our hard skills and sharpened out soft skills. We are incredibly grateful to our academic mentor and our industry mentor Dr. Brian Adams, and Jason Norris who took the time to meet with us and give us invaluable feedback on our findings.