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Thailand Students Win CFA Institute Research Challenge Asia Pacific Regional Final

5 March, 2012
Hong Kong SAR China
Survey Reveals Optimism about the Asia Pacific Job Market; Hong Kong Market Offers the Best Job Prospects

Thammasat University, in Thailand, has won the CFA Institute Research Challenge Asia Pacific regional final 2012. This global competition is hosted by CFA Institute, the global association of investment professionals. Thammasat University prevailed over 18 teams from this region. In April, the team is to represent the Asia Pacific region at the global championship final in New York, and compete against three other regional winning teams from the Americas, EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa), and New York.

More than 3,000 students from 700 universities in 55 countries and territories participated in this year’s CFA Institute Research Challenge. Among them were more than 720 students from 155 universities across Asia Pacific. A total of 19 teams which won local competitions participated in the regional round on 2 March 2012. These preliminary rounds were held in Beijing, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Melbourne, New Zealand, Pakistan, Shanghai, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Sydney, Taiwan, Thailand, the Philippines, and Vietnam. The CFA Institute Research Challenge Asia Pacific regional final was honored by the presence of Enoch Fung, adviser (Market Development) of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority as the keynote speaker. CFA Institute Research Challenge 2012 was sponsored by Kaplan Schweser as platinum sponsor and 7city Learning as regional sponsor. CFA Institute, with their sponsorship, covered the cost of participants’ travel and lodging.

During the competition, a survey was conducted with 88 aspiring students who come from various countries in the Asia Pacific region, to gather their views on the current job market and industry outlook. The response rate was 88 percent. More than half of the students were optimistic about the current job market in the Asia Pacific Region, with 34 percent rating it good and 18 percent rating it very good. Hong Kong (28 percent) is believed to offer the best prospects for employment, followed by Singapore (25 percent), China (13 percent) and Australia (13 percent). More than 80percent of respondents were looking for entry-level or internship positions, while around 14 percent have received job offers for internships or full-time positions. When asked which positions they are most interested to work in, analyst (20 percent) was the most popular, followed by banker (19 percent), fund manager (11 percent) portfolio manager (11 percent), and financial adviser (10 percent).

“Congratulations to Thammasat University for winning the CFA Institute Research Challenge Asia Pacific regional final 2012. All teams have raised their game in the regional final by delivering outstanding presentations on their findings and an incisive analysis of their assigned listed companies. Participants have shown great enthusiasm in developing their knowledge and skills in investment research and the high quality of their presentations demonstrated that their hard work had paid off. It is exciting to know that most of these bright minds surveyed have shown interest in joining the industry. In addition, nearly 80percent of students plan to acquire a professional qualification which shows that they recognize the need to differentiate themselves in this competitive market, and prepare well to take up new challenges and opportunities. We are continuing our efforts in promoting the best practices and the highest standards of ethical conduct, and supporting the industry and young generation with career information and educational initiatives,” said Ashvin Vibhakar, CFA, managing director of Asia Pacific Operations, CFA Institute.

An international panel of judges (for semifinal and final of this regional round), consisting of 21 leading finance professionals, held the students to real-world standards in analysis and ethics. Judging panelists in the Asia Pacific regional final were Mohammad Shoaib, CFA, CEO of Al Meezan Investment Management Ltd; Elizabeth Soon, CFA, managing director, PineBridge Investments Asia Ltd; Claudius Sze Wai Tsang, CFA, executive director, Templeton Asset Management Ltd; Linda M. Csellak, CFA, head of Asia Pacific Equities, MFC Global Investment Management; and Alex Ng, CIO of Asia Pacific, BNP Paribas Investment Partners. They commented that the finalist teams have exerted great efforts and all of the presentations exhibited outstanding quality.

Students from the Thammasat University are Jackrit Bumrungtrakul, Panus Hongrapipat, Sorawit Patumraj, Wimolnat Tanganurakpongsa, and Kittikiat Tantivuttikiti. The team recommended “Buy” on CP ALL Public Company LTD (#CPALL:SET, a Thailand-based company engaged in the operation of convenience stores under the 7-Eleven trademark). Each team member will receive a one-time discount offer to register any level of their next CFA exam at US$350, and a free trip to New York in April 2012 to attend the global final. The team will bring their university US$10,000 if they win the global final next month. Throughout the competition, the team received guidance from their faculty advisers Pantisa Pavabutr and Anchada Charoenrook; industry mentor Yingyong Chiaravutthi, CFA; and support from the CFA Society of Thailand.

CFA Institute

CFA Institute is the global association of investment professionals that sets the standard for professional excellence and credentials. The organization is a champion for ethical behavior in investment markets and a respected source of knowledge in the global financial community. The end goal: to create an environment where investors’ interests come first, markets function at their best, and economies grow.