EADA’s team is preparing for the CFA Institute Research Challenge, an annual global competition that provides hands-on intensive training in financial analysis. More than 15,000 students from over 1,000 universities around the world have participated in the Competition.
“I wanted to participate to challenge myself and grow as team,” affirms German Dorian Berndt. “In 2013 and 2014, EADA’s CFA teams managed to achieve the 3rd and 2nd place in Spain respectively. I wanted to contribute to the mission to obtain the 1st place. To date, I am confident that we are well on track to achieve that.”
To prepare for the competition, CFA teams research and analyse publicly traded companies. “The most valuable thing I learned during the preparation of the report is how to handle the complexity of such a report,” says Austrian Stefan Eder. “Every detail is adding value to the report, especially the valuation techniques we apply.”
The teams are required to submit a written research report on their company with a buy, sell, or hold recommendation and may be required to present and defend their analysis to industry professionals. According to Jose Christopher, one of the most important parts of the Challenge is allocating tasks to team members effectively. “Not everyone is an expert in valuation and not everyone is adept at financial analysis or strategy analysis,” he points out. “The idea is to cover each person’s weaknesses and leverage on their strengths.”
EADA students report that the experience of participating in the CFA Research Challenge is as intense as it is rewarding. Overall, an experience that is well worth it, providing in-depth, first-hand experience at building an analyst report and added value in the job market. “I would recommend participating because the CFA Challenge is indeed a real challenge,” says Shaida Sylla. “You will have to commit, learn quickly, work under pressure, and always do more than the rest of your classmates; but the end result is that you will push your limits and grow as a person.”
Last year, EADA’s team took second place in the regional competition held in Madrid, Spain. This year, EADA will be represented by five participants from the International Master in Finance: Stefan Eder (Austria), Luis Mejia (El Salvador), Shaida Sylla (Ivory Coast), Dorian Berndt (German), Jose Christopher Nicolas (Philippines).