Turku School of Economics Team Wins Local CFA Institute Research Challenge
The team from Turku School of Economics has won the local round of the 2022-23 CFA Institute Research Challenge and will advance to the sub-regional competition in March, where they will face other universities from across Nordic countries and Ireland.
Winning team members, including Lassi Honkanen, Veeti Härkönen, Paavo Koljonen, Otto Pajala and Markus Salminen, presented their analysis and buy/sell/hold recommendation on Valmet Oyj to a panel of distinguished judges from the investment community, including Niina Arkko (Ilmarinen), Ashish Bhardwaj (Fidelity International), Jutta Rahikainen (SEB), and Kari Vatanen (Veritas).
The presentation was the culmination of months of research, interviews with company management, competitors, and clients, as well as presentation training. All participating teams received hands-on mentoring, and intensive training in financial analysis and professional ethics delivered through the CFA Institute network, their faculty advisor, and a dedicated industry mentor.
The initial round of the CFA Institute Research Challenge was hosted by CFA Society Finland and sponsored by Refinitiv as a global partner of the Research Challenge. Winners of the Sub-Regional competition will advance to the EMEA regional semifinals 6-7 April 2023.
The CFA Institute Research Challenge gathers students, investment industry professionals, publicly traded companies, and corporate sponsors together locally, regionally, and globally for an annual competition. In order to promote best practices in equity research and company analysis, students research, analyze, and report on a company as if they are practicing analysts. Local CFA member societies and other affiliated groups host local level competitions of the Research Challenge in conjunction with the participating universities. The universities assemble teams of three to five business and finance students who work directly with a company in researching and preparing a company analysis. The team’s final presentations are locally evaluated by high-profile panels of heads of research, portfolio managers, and chief investment officers from the world’s top firms. The local champions advance to regional competitions for the Americas, Asia Pacific, and Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) and then to the Global Final, which will all take place in New York City on April 22nd.
CFA Society Finland promotes ethical and professional standards within the investment industry, encourages professional development through the CFA Program and society organized events, and facilitates the open exchange of information and opinions.
