CFA Institute
Global Research Challenge

Students Experience Real Life Opportunity

The Global Research Challenge gathers student teams together to create investment research recommendation and reports for a real world competition.  The opportunity gives students the ability to interact with investment industry professionals, publicly traded companies, and corporate sponsors. 

Students research, analyze, and report on a company as if they are practicing analysts in equity research and company analysis.

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

CFA Institute host and launch local-level competitions of the Global Research Challenge in conjunction with the participating universities. The universities assemble teams of three to five business and finance students who work directly with a company in researching and preparing a company analysis.

The teams' 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.

Student Benefits

The opportunity to create a real life presentation and gain experience is the ultimate benefit for students.  Students also gain from interacting and meeting people in the investment industry.  Meeting professional mentors and benefitting from judges with years of experience is an outright thrill for students.  The benefits are far-reaching for practitioners and CFA charter holders. It gives members a chance to volunteer and gives students an opportunity to see firsthand what the financial analyst profession is all about. 

Participating Universities

Colorado State University

University of Colorado – Boulder

University of Colorado – Denver

University of Denver

University of Northern Colorado

University of Wyoming

Colorado 2012 Challenge

This year students write and equity research report on Newmont Mining and will present their findings to an expert panel on January 26th at the Grand Hyatt Denver. The teams are judged on their written reports plus oral presentation and the winning team will be announced at the Forecast Dinner following the Challenge.  The winners will move on to the finals in New York on April 9th and the Global finals on April 11th.

We invite charter holders, society members, univeristy professors and students (even if you are not competing) to join us. Program is free - Register to attend.

Past Participating Companies

Companies are asked to be available for a company presentation and two hours of question and answers.  Additionally, companies are also asked to send a representative to judge the presentations.  Participating companies are below:

2010 – Chipotle

2011 – Western Union

2012 - Newmont Mining

Challenge Timeline

The Competition will kick off late in September. The Company presentation will begin early in October. Students will have about eight weeks to prepare the research report. The presentation to judges will occur in late January. Regional and global finals are held in April.

Past Winners

2010 - University of Denver

2011 - University of Colorado – Boulder

2012 - University of Denver

Global Finals - 2011 

There were 42 teams that represented the America's Region.  This was narrowed to 16 in the semi-final round and narrowed again to four teams for the finals. Global Final teams were; Rutgers for New York, Thammasat University for Asia Pacific, Politechnico di Milano for EMEA, and University of So. California for Americas.  The winning team was Politechnico di Milano for EMEA!  Finals were held in Omaha, were Warren Buffet spent two hours with the students in a Q&A session. 

More Information – Overview and Rules

http://www.globalinvestmentresearchchallenge.org/Pages/Default.aspx