Missouri State University is celebrating a victory as its CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) Research Challenge Team emerged triumphant at the Kansas City CFA Society Regional Competition.
MSU’s team comprised:
- Eric Cule, corporate and investment finance senior.
- Andrew Meek, finance senior.
- Deenal Patel, finance senior.
- Ethan Straus, corporate and investment finance senior.
Dr. Seth Hoelscher, associate professor in the department of finance, economics and risk management, and Zach Swartz, CFA, portfolio manager at FORVIS, guided and mentored the team.
The competition took place in Kansas City, Missouri, on Feb. 17, 2024.
The team’s outstanding performance highlights the caliber of the academic preparation offered by MSU’s College of Business’ department of finance, economics and risk management.
The department’s curriculum equips students with practical skills and knowledge vital for success in the finance industry.
Its focus extends beyond theoretical concepts, aiming to prepare students for professional certifications, such as the Chartered Financial Analyst Charter and Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) designation.
About the competition
The CFA Institute Research Challenge is an annual global competition that provides university students with hands-on mentoring and intensive training in financial analysis and professional ethics.
The students are tested on their analytical, valuation, report writing and presentation skills. They gain real-world experience as they assume the role of a research analyst.
“We’re very lucky to have a finance curriculum that’s tied to the CFA curriculum. A lot of what we learned in class helped us create models and ensure we were creating functional and sound assumptions that we can defend,” said Cule.
Local level competitions are organized and judged by CFA Institute society members and volunteers who function as local hosts. The winning team from each local competition advances to the sub-regional competition.
CFA institutes in the Americas, Asia Pacific, Europe, Middle East and Africa regions host the sub-regional, regional and global competitions. The winning teams from each sub-regional competition advance to the regional competition.
Regional winners advance to the global final, where one team emerges as the global champion.
Each member of MSU’s winning team received a $1,000 cash scholarship, a plaque and a CFA exam scholarship.
The team will now prepare to compete in the Americas sub-regional competition in March.
Learn more about the department of finance, economics and risk management