The Millsaps College Chartered Financial Analyst Research Challenge Team recently flexed their financial analysis skills by taking home top honors in the CFA Institute Research Challenge Mid-South Competition held at Rhodes College in Memphis.
The CFA Challenge is a prestigious global competition designed to provide university students with hands-on mentoring and intensive training in financial analysis and professional ethics. Each year, students are tested on their analytical, valuation, report writing and presentation skills, assuming the role of a research analyst.
The team is comprised of students who are currently enrolled in the Louis Wilson Fund, which is a student-managed fund class, including Nicolas Nieto, Mason Peavy, Rigoberto Leon, Raj Agrawal and Graham Harrison.
Millsaps alum, Julius Ridgway, partner at Waverly Advisors, is the team’s industry mentor, and has assisted in various competitions over the past decades. Also instrumental in the team’s success are members from the CFA Society of Mississippi who helped in pre-challenge rehearsals.
“This achievement underscores the dedication and expertise of our students, as well as support from the previous faculty members, Millsaps alums and other members in the Millsaps community. The accumulative efforts of everyone involved has contributed to the Louis Wilson Fund’s success over the years,” said faculty sponsor and coach, Dr. Ken Qiu.
Next up for the Millsaps team is the sub-regional competition where they will face off against winning teams from other local competitions from across the southeast. The competition will be held virtually, with team evaluated based on recorded presentations.
“We are incredibly proud of our team, this is the fourth year in a row they’ve placed in this event,” said Dr. Qiu. “Their success reflects Millsaps College’s commitment to providing students with real-world experience and preparing them for careers in finance and investment management.”