2014 RESEARCH CHALLENGE
Our thanks to the ten university teams who participated in the 2013/14 University Research Challenge. The top four teams – UCT, University of Stellenbosch, UJ and Wits presented to our Judges, Mark Butler, CFA, Mark Ingham and Randolph Oosthuizen, CFA and guests on 17th October at GIBS – the teams analysed MTN and our thanks to them for their support.
The winning team who goes forward to Italy in April 2014 to compete internationally is:
UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN.
Our congratulations to all participants and good luck to the University of Cape Town.
Our sincere thanks to Graders, Mentors and all who made this possible.
CFA Institute Research Challenge in South Africa 2013/2014
The CFA Institute Research Challenge offers students the unique opportunity to learn from leading industry experts and compete with peers from the world’s top finance programs. This annual educational initiative promotes best practices in equity research among the next generation of analysts through hands-on mentoring and intensive training in company analysis and presentation skills.
The Challenge gathers students, investment industry professionals, publicly traded companies, and corporate sponsors together locally, regionally and globally for a real world competition. Additionally, all participants are introduced to and held to the standard of the CFA Institute Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional conduct
CFA South Africa has been proud to host the 5th annual local level of the CFA Institute Research Challenge in South Africa.
About The CFA Institute Research Challenge in South Africa
The CFA Institute Research Challenge offers students the unique opportunity to learn from leading industry experts and compete with peers from the world’s top business schools. This annual educational initiative is designed to promote best practices in equity research among the next generation of analysts through hands-on mentoring and intensive training in company analysis and presentation skills.
Over the course of the competition, university teams of 5 students each are mentored by industry professionals in writing an equity research report on a publicly traded company. The teams then present their findings to a distinguished panel of experts. Past panelists included directors of research, chief strategists and ClOs from Bear Stearns, Goldman Sachs, Lehman Brothers, and Morgan Stanley.
The Challenge consists of the following components:
I. Analysis of a Public Company: Teams research a publicly traded company. Company management presents to the teams and participates in a Q&A session.
II. Mentoring By a Professional Research Analyst: Each team works with an investment professional, who mentors the team on research process and reviews and critiques their report.
III. Writing a Research Report: Students produce an initiation of coverage report on the chosen company. The report is reviewed and scored by a group of judges.
IV. Presentation of Research to a High-Profile Panel of Experts: Teams present their research to a panel of experts from top financial institutions. The team with the highest combined report and presentation score is the winner.
V. Advancement to the CFA Institute Research Challenge: The winners of the local competitions will advance to compete against teams within their geographic region, culminating in a global final scheduled early April 2014 in Thailand.
