University of Sydney Students Triumph at CFA Institute Research Challenge 2020 Global Final

Historically an entirely in-person event, students pivot to finish the demanding competition online

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Apr 23, 2020, 08:00 ET

NEW YORK, April 23, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- A team of hopeful future investment management professionals from The University of Sydney, in Australia, secured the title of Global Champion for the 14th Annual CFA Institute Research Challenge. Yesterday's competition, as well as all three regional finals, were held online only for the first time due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The CFA Institute Research Challenge is an annual competition that invites university students, competing in teams of three to five, to conduct an in-depth analysis of an assigned listed company. Hands-on mentoring and intensive training in financial analysis and professional ethics are delivered through the network of CFA Institute member societies. Students are tested on their analytical, valuation, research, reporting, and presentation skills, and gain real-world experience as they assume the role of research analysts. In total, more than 6,000 students from 1,150 universities around the world participated in the competition this year.

"Congratulations to the Global Champions from The University of Sydney, our Regional Champions, and the thousands of participants and volunteers who each poured hundreds of hours into the CFA Institute Research Challenge, which is even more impressive in the face of the COVID-19 crisis," said Margaret Franklin, CFA, CEO and President of CFA Institute. "This competition is a real proving ground. This year's students faced the added challenge of analyzing companies in an environment where even seasoned professionals are unsure of what lies ahead – and they had to compete in a virtual environment too. Despite the current challenges, these students stepped up and showed a deep sense of professionalism, analytical skill, and perseverance, all of which will serve them throughout their lives and careers."

The winning team of five from The University of Sydney includes, Sahil Arora, Jeffrey Brown, Jassis Chen, Tom Luo and Jessica Wu. They were supported in their efforts by their faculty adviser, Angelo Aspris, The University of Sydney, industry mentor Michael Toh, CFA, Regal Funds Management, and CFA Society Sydney. The team presented and defended their analysis of Commonwealth Bank of Australia to a panel of judges drawn from the investment industry, including:

Joelle Harb, CFA - Senior Investment Manager, OCTO Asset Management
Mifnaz Jawahar, CFA - Chief Research Officer, UZABASE Inc.
Jaime Lázaro Ruiz, CFA - Director of Asset Management, BBVA Bancomer
Juli Niemann, CFA, Executive Vice President Smith Moore & Company

In addition to the winning team, the four other regional champions included:

Americas Region: Seton Hall University (United States) and Universidade de Sao Paulo (Brazil)

Europe, Middle East and Africa Region: BI Norwegian Business School (Norway) and University of Lausanne (Switzerland)

CFA Institute

CFA Institute is the global association of investment professionals that sets the standard for professional excellence and credentials. The organization is a champion of ethical behavior in investment markets and a respected source of knowledge in the global financial community. We aim to create an environment where investors' interests come first, markets function at their best, and economies grow. There are more than 170,000 CFA charterholders worldwide in 162 markets. CFA Institute has nine offices worldwide, and there are 158 local member societies. For more information, visit www.cfainstitute.org or follow us on Twitter at @CFAInstitute and Facebook.com/CFAInstitute.

CFA Institute Research Challenge

Over the past decade, the CFA Institute Research Challenge has grown from just 91 participants in 2006 to more than 6,000 this year. The global winners from the past three years came from Ateneo de Manila University, Philippines in 2019; the University of Lausanne – Switzerland in 2018; Barna Management School – Dominican Republic in 2017.

http://www.cfainstitute.org/researchchallenge.

SOURCE CFA Institute