Vermont Business MagazineCFA Society Vermont, kicked off its second local CFA Institute Research Challenge for students in Vermont universities and colleges. In the competition, the student teams analyze a public company, are mentored by finance industry professionals, write an equity research report on the assigned company, and present their report to a panel of industry experts and leaders. This annual educational initiative is designed to promote best practices in research among the next generation of financial analysts through hands-on mentoring and intensive training in company analysis. It is intended to complement university curriculum by simulating the real-world experience of an equity analyst.
Teams of students from top Vermont universities, faculty mentors and industry professionals assembled at Hotel Vermonton Wednesdayevening to review the rules and timeline for the research challenge and discovered the identity of the subject company they will analyze this fall.
Community Bank System, Inc. will be the subject company for this year's CFA Institute Research Challenge in Vermont. Community Bank System, Inc. is a registered bank holding company based in DeWitt, N.Y. Its wholly-owned banking subsidiary, Community Bank, N.A., has approximately $11 billion in assets and more than 230 customer facilities across Upstate New York, Northeastern Pennsylvania, Vermont, and Western Massachusetts. Community Bank System trades on the New York Stock Exchange with ticker symbol CBU.
Teams from University of Vermont, Saint Michael's College, Northern Vermont University and Champlain College will compete in this year's challenge. Community Bank System's Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Scott Kingsley, will provide an investor presentation to the student teams and CFA Society Vermont members on October 2nd in conjunction with the CFA Society Vermont’s Charter Recognition Event. As part of their research, students will have the opportunity to interact with and ask questions of this esteemed executive.
The CFA Institute Research Challenge in Vermont runs from September 2017 to February 2018. The teams are scored on their written analyst report, which is due in December 2017, and their presentation to a panel of judges in February 2018. The winners of the Vermont challenge will advance to compete against teams nationally at the Americas Regional Competition that will be held in Boston, MA, USA onMarch 19 and 20, 2018, and if successful, globally in Seoul, Korea onApril 20, 2018.
CFA Society Vermont President and Managing Director of Teucrium Trading Chris Talbert, CFA stated, “We are excited for this year's challenge. We are very grateful to Community Bank System for being the subject company, the faculty advisers and industry mentors who provide direction to the student teams, and the investment professionals and sponsors who make this event happen." The 2017-2018 competition is the second CFA Institute Research Challenge in Vermont. The 2016-2017 CFA Research Challenge in Vermont was won by the team from Champlain College with Casella Waste Systems as the subject company.
About the CFA Institute Research Challenge
The CFA Institute Research Challenge is a global competition that tests the equity research and valuation, investment report writing, and presentation skills of university students. This annual educational initiative promotes best practices in equity research among the next generation of analysts through hands-on mentoring and intensive training in company analysis and presentation skills. The CFA Institute Research Challenge offers students the unique opportunity to learn from leading industry experts and compete with peers from the world’s top finance programs. Local CFA Institute volunteers work in conjunction with participating local universities to assemble teams of 3–5 business and finance students. Each team works directly with a mentor to research and prepare an equity research report on a publicly traded company. Each team’s findings are locally evaluated by high-profile panels of heads of research, portfolio managers, and chief investment officers from some of the world’s top firms. Local champions advance to regional competitions in the Americas, Asia Pacific, and EMEA, and then to the global final. Additional information on the Research Challenge is available on the CFA Institute website,www.cfainstitute.org/researchchallenge
About CFA Society Vermont The society began in February 1996 when a group of financial analysts met to organize a professional society for the purpose of continued professional development. The society initially incorporated on March 4th, 1996 as a chapter of the Boston Security Analysts Society, but became an independent society on April 30th, 2000. Today CFA Society Vermont has over 80 members. The job functions represented by the membership are diverse ranging from equity, fixed income and alternative investment analysts to portfolio managers, wealth managers, sales and marketing professionals and college professors. As the local affiliate of CFA Institute, CFA Society Vermont seeks to provide a regional forum for the discussion of investments, economics and finance. The organization promotes high standards of expertise and conduct among investment managers and analysts. www.cfasociety.org/vermont/
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 135,000 members in 150 countries and territories, and 149 member societies. For more information, visitwww.cfainstitute.org.
Research Challenge Contact Dr. Fritz Burkhardt, CFA [email protected]
Source: Burlington, VT – September 20th, 2017 – CFA Society Vermont