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Top Prize of CFA Institute Americas Investment Research Challenge Given to Fundação Getulio Vargas School of Business of São Paulo, Brazil

 

FGV advances to the Global Investment Research Challenge in London

 

New York, March 20, 2009 –Fundação Getulio Vargas School of Business last night was awarded the top prize of the CFA Institute Americas Regional Investment Research Challenge (IRC). Five students from the Brazilian university presented a research analysis of MRV, a Brazilian housing company, to a panel of six senior investment professionals.

 

The CFA Institute Investment Research Challenge offers students the unique opportunity to learn from leading industry experts with peers from the world’s top business schools. This annual educational initiative is designed to promote best practices in equity research among the next generation of analysts through hands-on mentoring and intensive training in company analysis and presentation skills. This year, 45 CFA Institute member societies hosted local competitions with more than 890 students from more than 240 universities worldwide participating.

“I congratulate Fundação Getulio Vargas for their strong analysis, poise, and ability to persuasively present their research to our panel of experts,” said Raymond DeAngelo, managing director of the CFA Institute Member and Society Division. “The amount of passion all of the students put into their research and presentations is very impressive and is representative of the values espoused by CFA Institute and our nearly 100,000 members worldwide. I look forward to seeing them compete against their peers in the global finale next month.”

 

In addition to FGV, which was sponsored by the CFA Society of Brazil, the following schools competed in the final round of the North American IRC:

 

• Boston University, sponsored by the Boston Security Analysts Society, Maine CFA Society, and CFA Society of Providence;
• Bowling Green State University, sponsored by the CFA Society of Toledo;
• Saint Mary’s University, sponsored by CFA Atlantic Canada;
• Texas A&M University, sponsored by the CFA Societies of Austin, Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, Louisiana, and San Antonio; and
• University of Alberta, sponsored by the CFA Societies of Calgary, Saskatchewan, Vancouver, Edmonton, and Victoria.

 

Over the course of the competition, university teams of three to five students each are mentored by industry professionals in writing an equity research report on a publicly traded company. The teams then present their findings to a distinguished panel of experts. The panelists for last night’s competition were:

 

• Kay Ryan Booth, CFA – managing director at J.P. Morgan Chase
• Bud Haslett, CFA − chief executive officer for Miller Tabak Capital Management and Director of Option Analytics for Miller Tabak+Co., LLC
• Ashwani Kaul – director of research for Thomson Reuters
• Tom Keene, CFA – editor-at-large, Bloomberg News; host, Bloomberg Surveillance
• Thomas Madsen, CFA – former global head of equity for both UBS Global Asset Management and JPMorgan Asset Management
• John Rogers, CFA – CFA Institute president and CEO

 

The Challenge consists of the following components:

 

• Analysis of a public company – Teams research a publicly traded company, and company management presents to the team and participants in a question-and-answer session.
• Mentoring by a professional research analyst – Each team works with an investment professional who mentors the team on the research process and reviews their report.
• Writing a research report – Students produce an initiation of coverage report on the chosen company. The report is reviewed and scored by a group of judges.
• Presentation of research to a high-profile panel of experts – The team with the highest combined report and presentation score is the winner.
• Advancement to the CFA Institute Global Investment Research Challenge – The winners of the four regional challenges advance to compete in the global finale on April 2, 2009 in London.

 

On March 7, 2009, the Asia Pacific IRC was presented to Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, and on February 19, 2009, Yale University won the New York Regional IRC. The EMEA IRC will be held on April 1, 2009. Thomson Reuters is the premier sponsor of the Global IRC. 

 

FGV will receive a set of the CFA Institute/Wiley Investment Series, a trophy, and travel expenses to London to compete in the Global IRC. The top school at the Global IRC will receive a US$10,000 contribution from CFA Institute.

 

 

 

About CFA Institute

CFA Institute is the global association for investment professionals. It administers the CFA and CIPM curriculum and exam programs worldwide; publishes research; conducts professional development programs; and sets voluntary, ethics-based professional and performance-reporting standards for the investment industry. CFA Institute has nearly 100,000 members, who include the world’s 82,500 CFA charterholders, as well as 136 affiliated professional societies in 57 countries and territories. More information may be found at www.cfainstitute.org.