BUFFALO, NY - Canisius was one of only five universities, worldwide, to advance to the Global Finals of the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Institute Research Challenge held in New York City on Thursday, April 25. The Canisius team competed against Ateneo de Manila University, Instituto Tecnologico de Mexico, Moscow University and the University of Lausanne, Switzerland. Ateneo de Manila University, our Jesuit partner in the Philippines, won the global competition.
The Canisius team was comprised of Alexandra Pfeifer ’19 (captain), Allison Jennings ’19, Jennifer Keefer ’19 and Mike Maiorana ’19. The team competed against 1,100 universities from approximately 90 countries to secure a spot at the Global Finals.
This marks the second time that Canisius competed in the CFA Global Finals. In 2015, a five person team from Canisius beat teams from 865 universities in 70 countries to take home the CFA World Championship.
“The CFA Institute Research Challenge is a rigorous global competition that tests our students’ knowledge and application of investment research, ethics and professional standards,” says Richard A. Wall ’78, PhD, CFA, professor of economics/finance and faculty advisor to the Canisius team. “To be among just four other teams competing at the Global Finals is an incredible honor for our students and a testament to their hard work and commitment to the competition, and their futures in the investment management profession.”
The CFA Institute Research Challenge is an annual global competition that provides university-sponsored teams with hands-on mentoring and intensive training in financial analysis. The competition tests the analytic, valuation, report writing and presentation skills of students studying business, finance and economics. Teams are challenged to research a publicly traded company and write a written report with a buy, sell or hold recommendation. Teams must then present and defend their analysis to a panel of industry professionals who serve as judges in the competition.
The subject company for this year’s Canisius GGF team was Astronics Corporation, an aerospace and avionics provider headquartered in East Aurora, NY.
“This competition provides our students with an opportunity to integrate their academic training in a team environment and become polished professionals at the very start of their careers,” adds Steven Gattuso ’87, MBA ’89, CFA, CFP, CMA, director of the GGF and CFA mentor to Canisius students.
Established in 2003, the GGF is one of the region’s first real-money, equity investment funds managed by undergraduate and graduate finance majors. GGF students select potential companies in which to invest, manage and analyze portfolio holdings, and evaluate and recommend companies to add to the portfolio.
The Chartered Financial Analyst Institute is a global association for investment professionals. It administers the CFA and Certificate in Investment Performance Measurement (CIPM) curriculum and exam programs worldwide; publishes research; conducts professional development programs; and sets voluntary, ethics-based professional and performance-reporting standards for the investment industry. The institute has approximately 150,000 members in 159 countries and membership societies in 73 countries around the world.
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