The School of Accounting and Finance (SAF) is pleased to present its fifth annual Investment Research Challenge (IRC). The competition is an excellent opportunity for SAF students to demonstrate their knowledge and skills in Finance. Students will get the opportunity to network with industry professionals and gain valuable feedback in the process. This event is sponsored by the CPA SAF Centre for Capital Markets Education. This event is coordinated with AFSA/Finance Focus.
Check out the 2016 IRC!
The IRC has served as a training ground for students who have gone on to win external competitions, including the CFA Institute Research Challenge. SAF teams have won at the Toronto level five times in the last six years (https://www.cfatoronto.ca/awards-university- relations/research-challenge/past-winners) including spring 2017 when they went on to the Americas Regional in Seattle, WA. In 2016, the SAF team won the global level of the CFA Institute Research Challenge. Read about it here!
The 2017 IRC is open to undergraduate students in SAF programs, currently in their 2B term or later terms and to MAcc students. The competition requires a student group to analyze an assigned publicly-traded common stock and defend its buy/hold/sell recommendation. Each group will be required to submit an Excel workbook detailing its analysis along with the slide deck. Each group will make a 7-minute presentation to a faculty/industry judging panel followed by an 8-minute Q&A session. In the second round, the four finalists will be judged by industry experts.
The event will take place on Friday, July 14, 2017. Participants must sign up as individuals and could suggest up to three additional student names to form a team of four. To improve the learning experience, consider forming a student team that has a mix of second year and upper
year students. Each team will be assigned a stock, post registration. Each team must submit a PowerPoint presentation for a 7-minute stock pitch and an Excel workbook showing the supporting analysis.
Registering and then withdrawing from the competition without appropriate documentation, such as a medical note, will be deemed unprofessional and may put a student out of contention for IRC involvement in the future and from being selected for an external competition team or the student investment fund.
We are thankful to Anish Chopra for sponsoring the IRC prizes. Anish Chopra is a Global Wealth Management and Investment Leader with Expertise in Asset Management and Innovative Wealth Products. Anish was also the Chair of the Advisory Board of the School's Student-run Investment Fund from its inception in 2012 until April 2014.
The 2017 IRC Prizes are as follows:
1st Place: $2,000 2nd Place: $1,000 3rd Place: $700 4th Place: $300
Key Dates:
- Last Date to Register: Monday, June 26th, 2017, 11:59 p.m.
- Team and Stock Assignment: Wednesday, June 29th, 2017, 11:59 p.m. - Upload PowerPoint Slides and Excel Model to LEARN dropbox.
Due Date: Wednesday, July 12th, 2017, 11:59 p.m.
- IRC Event Date: Friday, July 14, 2017 starting at 12:00 p.m. and going to 6:30 p.m.
To apply find the application process in LEARN, My SAF Community, Assessments, Surveys, Investment Research Challenge 2017. If you have any questions about the application process, contact L2graham@uwaterloo.ca.
We look forward to receiving your applications.