Toronto was well represented by its Investment Research Challenge champions from the Richard Ivey School of Business at this year’s CFA Institute Americas Regional Final of The Global Investment Research Challenge in Omaha, Nebraska, where they competed against teams from schools across the Americas this April. The team successfully competed into the quarter finals.

Toronto’s Investment Research Challenge champions included: Can Cui, Arnold Ha, Jon Jhun, Melody Tao, faculty advisor Steve Foerster, CFA and team mentor Kyle D’Silva, CFA. Toronto’s winner was determined based upon the best combined score for the written report and presentation before a panel of judges on 3 March 2011. All teams reported on this year’s subject company, Brookfield Renewable Power Fund at OMERS offices, Toronto.

Peter S. Jarvis, CFA, executive director of Toronto CFA Society, said, “Toronto’s 2011 Investment Research Challenge was a tough competition with each team performing well. We are very proud to have had Ivey School of Business represent Toronto CFA Society in The Americas Regional Finals.”

“It was a truly memorable learning opportunity where my perspective was greatly broadened by the knowledge of experienced judges and interesting views of all other participants.” said participant Melody Tao, student, Ivey Business School, The University of Western Ontario.

The Global IRC is an educational initiative in which leading industry professionals guide business and finance students from respected business schools across the province in researching and reporting on a publicly traded company. The program spans one academic year and consists of analyzing a public company (selected by Toronto CFA Society), mentoring by a professional research analyst, writing a research report and presenting the team’s results and recommendations to a high profile panel of Toronto’s industry professionals. Marks are awarded to each team on the basis of their investment case, their delivery and their ability to answer and respond to detailed analysis from the judges. Toronto CFA Society would like to thank all of the graders, mentors and panel judges who volunteer to help make Toronto’s Challenge such a huge success.

“The Investment Research Challenge was a great opportunity for our students to hone both their written and oral skills related to equity research. It was also a terrific experience to have the interaction with industry specialists and senior management,” said Steve Foerster, CFA, professor of finance, Ivey Business School, University of Western Ontario.

University of Waterloo earned an honourable mention as first runners up in Toronto’s portion of the challenge.