CFA Institute Research Challenge Pakistan Final 2024-25
The Research Challenge gives students all around the world the chance to learn best practices in equity research through hands-on mentoring and intensive training in company analysis.
The CFA Institute Research Challenge is a global competition in which teams of students from business schools write an equity research report on an assigned company and present their findings to a panel of financial industry experts.
This annual educational initiative is designed to promote best practices in equity research among the next generation of analysts through hands-on mentoring and intensive training in company financial analysis. It complements students’ university curriculum by simulating the ‘real world’ experience of an equity analyst.
The Research Challenge spans approximately 3 to 4 months, and consists of the following components:
1. Analysis of a Public Company (To be announced at a later stage)
2. Mentoring by a Professional Research Analyst or Portfolio Manager (To be provided by CFA Society Pakistan)
3. Training sessions for students on how to analyze a company, equity valuation and Financial Modeling (To be conducted by CFA Society Pakistan)
4. Writing an Equity Research Report
5. Presentation of Equity Research to a high-profile Panel of Judges (For top five teams only)
The winning team from Pakistan will advance to the Sub-Regional Final where teams from countries in the South Asia region will compete. The winning team of the Sub-Regional Final will move to the Asia Pacific Regional Final and the winners of the Regional Final will further move to the Global Finale.
More information about the competition can be found here.
Click here to view the official rules of the competition
Critical aspects of the competition
1. Each university is required to nominate one Faculty Advisor primarily to select teams as well as coordinate other aspects of the competition.
2. Each university can send up to two teams in the competition, and each team must comprise of 3 to 5 members (Maximum 5, Minimum 3) to represent their university. When making teams of students, we suggest a mix of financial modelling, report writing and presentation skills.
3. Both graduate and undergraduate students are eligible to participate in the competition. Students must be enrolled in the current term at the university they represent at the time of the local Kick-off meeting which will be held tentatively in October 2023.
4. CFA Charterholders, past participants of Research Challenge and students who have prior work experience in fundamental company analysis are not eligible to participate in the competition.
Role of Faculty Advisor
The faculty advisor must be currently employed as a full-time or part-time faculty member at the university. Any faculty member teaching finance-related courses, involved in finance-related student activities or a faculty member who is a CFA Charterholder would be a great asset during the process.
Teams are not allowed to have more than one faculty advisor.
How to Participate?
Nomination of Faculty Advisor along with details of participating students must be submitted through the online form by 3 October 2024.
Note for Students: The online form can only be submitted by the faculty advisor. Please get in touch with your university representative and have them email us at researchallenge@cfapakistan.org for the form if needed.
Details of previous local competitions are available here.
For any further information, feel free to contact us at researchallenge@cfapakistan.org.