Krannert team advances to New York global competition
Monday, February 10, 2020
A team of students from Purdue University’s Krannert School of Management took a step toward national and global recognition with a recent victory in Indiana’s 2020 CFA Institute Research Challenge.
The annual global equity research competition provides university students with hands-on mentoring and intensive training in financial analysis, giving them real-world experience as they assume the role of research analysts. They are judged by industry professionals on their ability to value a stock, write a research report, and present their recommendations.
In early February, the students bested teams from seven other Indiana colleges in writing an equity research report about Cummins Inc. and offering a target share price and a buy/sell/hold recommendation. After clearing the regional-level competition, the team will continue to the national competition in New York City in April and potentially the global round.
Second-year MBA student Joshua Groh leads the Krannert team, which also includes undergraduates Hannah Cohen (BS ’22), Vebz Chutani (BS ’21) and Gabi Gomez Treig (BS ’21).
As a member of the Krannert’s Communication Center, Groh has participated in some 30 case competitions during his time at Purdue.
“This competition marked my first time valuing a company from scratch, with no data provided beforehand,” he says. “I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to comprehensively apply a wide variety of finance skills and defend these findings with a truly outstanding team.”
According to the CFA Institute, the annual competition attracts more than 6,100 students from nearly 1,200 universities and 95 countries. In addition to honing their financial and analytical skills, students benefit by showcasing their university on a global scale and augmenting their classroom learning with practical training.
In addition to testing the students’ financial knowledge, Treig says the CFA Research Challenge is “a great opportunity network with industry professionals who share the same passion in the business field.”
The students were mentored by Charlene Sullivan, associate professor of finance; Patrick Boquist, clinical professor of finance; and finance lecturer Fabricio d’Almeida.
The regional and global competitions are hosted by CFA Institute in the Americas; the Asia Pacific; and the Europe, Middle East, and Africa regions. The winning teams from each regional competition advance to their respective national final before one team takes the giant leap and emerges as the global champion.
While the team is optimistic about its chances on a larger stage, simply competing has been a rewarding experience, says Chutani. “The CFA Research challenge provided me with an incredible opportunity to advance my interest and knowledge in finance while having a lot of fun with a group of very smart people.”