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

2026 Participating Universities

Brigham Young University - Hawaii

San Diego State University

University of CA - San Diego - RADY School of Management

University of Hawai'i at Manoa

University of San Diego

2026 Research Challenge Winner!

Congratulations to University of San Diego - Team 1 for winning the 2026 Local Finals of the Research Challenge.  Next, they will submit their presentation for the Sub-Regionals. Good Luck University of San Diego - Team 1!  The team members include - Mateo Marchis, Thomas Hanly, Ryan Madjidi, Grady Rimland, and Carter Voerge.

To join the Research Challenge or for more information, contact us at:

Resources for Students

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Resources for Professors

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