RWTH Students Reach National Final in International Investment Competition

In the competition organized by CFA Institue, a global association of investment professional s, students work in teams to research and analyze a publicly traded company.

 

RWTH students Marion Chardot, Felix Faulstich, Johannes Hillebrand, Johannes Hirschberg, and Bastian Maiworm have reached the national final of the global CFA Institute Research Challenge.

For the regional round of the competition, the Aachen team had to conduct an in-depth financial analysis of the company TeamViewer AG and produce a full equity research report providing a buy, sell, or hold recommendation. Competing against three other teams, the Aachen students had to present their results in front of an jury of investment experts. They now have the opportunity to present and defend their analysis to a panel of industry professionals in the German final.

The Aachen team was assembled by the RWTH Department of Finance. "The collaboration within the team was very good right from the start. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, we had to communicate and exchange information via videoconferencing only during the entire competition phase," says Felix Faulstich. The 25-year-old is completing a Master's program in Business Administration with a specialization in Corporate Strategy and Development. “Due to the high demands of the competition and the novelty of the tasks, we had to find creative solutions. We quickly learned to tackle such new challenges and to look at every detail.”

Team member Johannes Hillebrand adds, “I gained insight into the daily activities of a research analyst and took away useful knowledge for my professional career". Hillebrand is also a Master’s student in Business Administration, specializing in Operations Research & Management.

The next generation analysists were mentored by Jan-Philipp Matthewes, CFA Charterholder in Germany, and PD Dr. Astrid Salzmann from the Department of Finance at RWTH’s School of Business and Economics. RWTH supported the students with access to a data provider and with the necessary digital infrastructure.

The CFA Institute Research Challenge is an annual global competition that provides university students with hands-on mentoring and intensive training in financial analysis. Students work in teams to research and analyze a publicly traded company. The best three teams will be asked to present and defend their analysis to a panel of industry professionals during the Local Final. The winning team will have the opportunity to join the Regional Final in Dublin in April.

CFA Institute is a global, non-profit organization for investment managers, finance analysts, and professional investors. Its mission is to promote the highest standards of ethics, education, and professional excellence in the global investment industry.