CFA Society Toronto Announces Local Champion University of Waterloo for the CFA Institute Research Challenge

TORONTO, Feb. 21, 2013 /CNW/ - CFA Society Toronto is pleased to announce that the University of Waterloo has won the local level of the CFA Institute Research Challenge for the second consecutive year.

"Participating in the CFA Institute Research Challenge has been a tremendous learning opportunity that challenged our intellect and allowed us to flex the skills necessary to be successful in this dynamic industry. Facing tough Q&A posed by a judging panel that had decades of industry experience was both frightening and exciting, allowing us to experience something that cannot be easily replicated in a classroom," said Donna Heng, Team Captain of the University of Waterloo team.

The winning team - Arsalan Hashmani, Donna Heng, Prasanth Pahirathan, Anqi Wang, Ian Weng and faculty advisor Craig Geoffrey, CFA, Professor of finance and business at University of Waterloo - was determined based on the best combined score for the written equity research report and their presentation before a panel of judges in Toronto. The team's industry mentor is Cosmos Chiu, CFA.  The team now advances to the Americas Regional Final, to be held in Toronto Ontario, on March 21, 2013.  The Americas Regional winner will advance to the global final in London, UK in April.

"We are excited for the opportunity to represent both the University of Waterloo and Ontario at the Americas regional competition for the second year. We look forward to what the next round of competition brings," added Heng.

The CFA Institute Research Challenge is a unique educational competition for students that allows participants to assume the role of investment research analysts. The annual competition offers participants the opportunity to develop and present an equity research report on a locally relevant company and compete on a global basis with peers from top business schools. Each team works with a CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) charterholder who mentors the team during the research process and reviews and critiques its report.  This year, more than 3,500 students and 650 universities in more than 55 countries will participate in local Challenge events, culminating in a global final in London in April 2013.

This year teams from around Ontario presented their research and analysis of the subject company, Canadian dollar store operator Dollarama.  Honourable mention goes to Wilfrid Laurier University who placed second in the local finals.

For more information visit the CFA Institute Research Challenge website

About the University of Waterloo
In just half a century, the University of Waterloo, located at the heart of Canada's Technology Triangle, has become one of Canada's leading comprehensive universities with 30,000 full- and part-time students in undergraduate and graduate programs. Waterloo, as home to the world's largest post-secondary co-operative education program, embraces its connections to the world and encourages enterprising partnerships in learning, research and discovery. In the next decade, the university is committed to building a better future for Canada and the world by championing innovation and collaboration to create solutions relevant to the needs of today and tomorrow. For further details, visit www.uwaterloo.ca

About CFA Society Toronto
CFA Society Toronto supports the professional and business development of more than 8,000 CFA charterholders in Toronto, making it the second largest member society in the world. It provides members with a local perspective on a global designation, including: educational programs, sponsored events, job postings, quarterly newsletters, a comprehensive affinity program and networking opportunities. A not-for-profit organization, CFA Society Toronto is affiliated with CFA Institute, the global body that administers the Chartered Financial Analyst curriculum and sets voluntary, ethics-based performance-reporting standards for the investment industry. CFA Society Toronto's members are leaders in ethics in the financial community. For more information, please refer to www.cfatoronto.ca.

About 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. CFA Institute has more than 113,000 members in 137 countries and territories, including 105,000 CFA charterholders, and 138 member societies. For more information, visit www.cfainstitute.org.

SOURCE: CFA Society Toronto

Media contacts University of Waterloo
Patty Mah
519.888.4567 X37152
[email protected]

Media contacts CFA Society Toronto 
Sara Pacella
416.366.5755 X235
[email protected]