Research Challenge

CFA Institute Research Challenge

The CFA Institute Research Challenge is an annual global competition that connects university students with investment professionals from within the CFA Society^® network. The competition provides students with hands-on mentoring and intensive training in financial analysis and ethics and tests participants' analytical, valuation, reporting writing, and presentation skills.

Members of our society, along with a faculty advisor and an industry mentor, work with teams of students to value a stock, write a research report, and present their recommendations. Teams then compete with peers from other schools at local-level competitions organized and judged by CFA Society members and volunteers. The winning university team(s) from each local competition then advances to see who will become the sub-regional, regional, and global champions.

Learn more and read FAQs See the schedule and get involved

Local Research Challenge

Our 2024 Local Research Challenge was held Thursday, Feb. 15 in Cedar Rapids. Nine teams participated -- two teams from Augustana College and one team each from Cornell College, Dordt University, Grinnell College, Iowa State University, Loras College, the University of Iowa, and the University of Northern Iowa.

The subject company was John Deere.

Our judges were impressed by all of the teams, and the competition was fierce. Ultimately, the team from Dordt University was declared the winner! This team will now move on to the sub-regional competition. Congratulations, and best of luck as you move on to the next level of competition!