CFA Ghana holds 5th research challenge
The CFA Society Ghana has held the 5th edition of its Research Challenge in Accra to prepare the next generation of investment professionals for the demands of the global financial industry.
The Executive Director of CFA Ghana, Jojo Kakra Bannerman, said the competition was designed to equip students with practical research and valuation skills.
He said the initiative required rigour and deep analytical work, adding that this year’s participating teams demonstrated strong technical competence in their assessment of the subject company, MTN Group.
“The benefit of the research challenge was to get the next generation of investment professionals ready for the world ahead of them. The quality of research produced this year was very strong,” he said.
Five tertiary institutions took part in the competition: the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, the Ashesi University, the University of Ghana, the University of Cape Coast and the University of Professional Studies, Accra. The students presented equity research reports and investment recommendations on MTN Group before a panel of judges drawn from the finance industry.
Mr Bannerman commended faculty members and industry mentors for their support throughout the process.
He said that contributions from professionals in the investment community ensured that participants were exposed to real market expectations.
“We were grateful to the faculty who prepared the students and to the industry mentors who took time out of their busy schedules to guide them. Their support made the competition meaningful,” he said.
The competition required students to analyse financial statements, assess industry trends, evaluate risk factors and arrive at a justified valuation and recommendation.
Such exercises mirror the work of equity analysts who advise institutional investors managing portfolios worth millions of US$ across global markets.
Regional stage
The winning team will represent Ghana at the regional contest, scheduled to be hosted by the CFA Middle East Society in Egypt. The event will bring together teams representing CFA societies across Africa, the Middle East and North Africa, as well as parts of emerging Europe.
Mr Bannerman said the exposure would offer the students an opportunity to test their skills against peers from other regions. “The winners would represent CFA Ghana at the regional challenge in Egypt and compete with teams from across Africa and the Middle East. It would be a good platform for them,” he said.