Five top Kuwaiti Universities to compete in CFA Institute Research Challenge

Winning team will secure place in regional final in the USA

KUWAIT CITY, Nov 10: Last night, CFA Society Kuwait, the local society of CFA Institute, hosted its annual research challenge at the Jumeirah Beach Hotel in Kuwait for the third consecutive year.

Over the next few months, 25 students will compete in five teams from five universities, and business schools including: Australian College of Kuwait, American University of Kuwait, American University of the Middle East, Gulf University for Science and Technology, and Kuwait University. During the kick off session, students, university professors, and society members were familiarised with the CFA Institute Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct.

The teams will review Mezzan Holding Company, one of the largest manufacturers and distributors of food, beverage, FMCG, and pharmaceutical products in the Gulf. Gary Walsh, Chief Executive Officer and Mr. Stephen Carty, Chief Financial Officer of Mezzan Holding gave the university teams a presentation about the compa- ny followed by a questions and answers session. Each team will be mentored by a professional research analyst and at the end of the process they will write a research report which they will then present to a team of judges. The winning team will then secure a place in the regional final in Chicago, Illinois, USA during the week of 11 April 2016, where they will meet other teams from around the world. The successful team will then compete in the Global Final in the same location, Illinois, USA.

The CFA Institute Research Challenge offers students the unique

Presenters at CFA Society Kuwait Research Challenge opportunity to develop and present an equity research report and compete on a global basis. Students will learn from leading industry experts and their mentors and peers from the world’s top business schools. 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 analysis and presentation skills.

Rafik Hafez, President of CFA Society Kuwait, said:”Participation in the research challenge is an unparalleled opportunity for the next generation of analysts to learn from leading industry experts and compete with peers from the world’s top schools. This local CFA Institute Research Challenge also provides students with the opportunity to gain real world technical and leadership skills and increase their attractiveness when seeking internships and entry level roles.

This competition is also a testament to the continued educational work of CFA Institute and CFA Society Kuwait to promote the highest standards of ethics, education, and professional excellence for the ultimate benefit of the financial industry and the greater society. I wish them all the best of luck and look forward to increased participation each year.On Behalf of the CFA Society Kuwait, I would also like to thank the management team of Mezzan Holding for the time and effort they provided to support the competition.”

The CFA Institute Challenge comprises:

Analysis of a publicly-traded company Teams research a publicly traded company. The company’s management presents information to the student teams and is available to answer student questions.

Mentoring by a research analyst

Each team works with a CFA charterholder who mentors the team during the research process and reviews and critiques its report.

Writing a research report

Research

professional

Each team produces an Initiation of Coverage report on thechosen company. The report is reviewed and scored by a group of judges.

Presentation of research to a panel of experts

The teams’ final presentations are locally evaluated by panels of experts from top financial institutions. Panelists include heads of research, portfolio managers, and chief investment officers from the world’s top firms. The team with the highest combined written report and presentation score is the winner and advances to the regional level of the Research Challenge.

Advancement to the CFA Institute Research Challenge Global Finale

Regional winners then progress to compete at the global finale. At the regional and global stages of the Research Challenge, teams are evaluated solely on their presentations.

For more information visit the https://www.cfainstitute.org/community/challenge/about/Pages/research_cha llenge_schedule.aspx.