Research Challenge

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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

CFA Institute Research Challenge
New Zealand competition 2025

The CFA Institute Research Challenge 2025 brought together some of New Zealand’s most talented university students to put their classroom learning into practice and experience the rigour of real-world financial analysis.

Teams from across the country presented their research and recommendations on Auckland International Airport to a judging panel of investment professionals, gaining invaluable feedback and insight into the realities of the industry.

The Challenge connects students with experienced mentors, builds practical skills in equity research, valuation, and ethics, and provides an authentic opportunity to step into the role of an analyst. Participants described the experience as “incredibly valuable for developing confidence, communication skills, and a professional mindset.

The day also saw future Challenge contestants attending as observers — including students from Massey University, who said they were inspired to take part next year.

University representatives reflected on how widely respected the CFA designation is across global markets:

"The CFA qualification is exceptionally valuable anywhere in the world — employers really recognise the skills and discipline it represents.”

For Anna Boyle, CFA, organiser and volunteer with CFA Society New Zealand, seeing students grow through the Challenge is particularly rewarding:

“I’m really passionate about CFA — the qualification has been extremely useful in my career, and it’s great to see so many students discovering what it can open up for them.”

A huge thank you to all the mentors, judges, and volunteers who helped make this year’s Challenge such a success — and congratulations to every team that took part.

  1. First place - Auckland University of Technology (AUT)
  2. Second place - University of Otago
  3. Third place - University of Auckland

2025