Students Compete in CFA Research Challenge

Four SOM students - JP Landry, Peter Freymueller, Lutfi Lena, and Marcus Brown - participated in the CFA Research Challenge, an annual global competition in which university students compete an in-depth written and oral evaluation of a publicly traded company. After months of preparation, the UAF team competed in Honolulu, Hawaii on Friday, February 23. Students had the unique chance to gain hands-on mentoring and intensive training in financial analysis as they worked to evaluate this year's target company, Central Pacific Financial Corporation.

"I believe that the CFA Research Challenge was one of the best learning experiences in my educational career," said Lutfi Lena. "It allowed for an opportunity to complete a comprehensive equity recommendation through rigorous research. As team leader, the research challenge proved to be a new level of intensity. The research process was extremely in-depth, and the team would investigate every aspect of the company from the financial statements to corporate management. There are not many opportunities for finance students in Alaska to participate in research competitions, which is why I am very fortunate and appreciative for being able to represent UAF at this research challenge."

The CFA Research Challenge is a global competition. In its first eight years, 15,000+ students from more than 1,000 universities around the world participated with the help of thousands of dedicated volunteers, often industry professionals with busy day jobs. While only the first place team will move on to nationals, it was a valuable learning experience for the entire team.