Four Marian
University students emerged victorious in the Indiana competition for the 2022
Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Institute Research Challenge. The CFA
Institute Research Challenge is an annual global competition that provides
university students with hands-on mentoring and intensive training in financial
analysis and professional ethics. Each student is tested on their analytic,
valuation, report writing, and presentation skills. They gain real-world
experience as they assume the role of a research analyst.
The Marian
University team was tasked to produce an equity research report for the Connecticut
-based company GXO Logistics, and to present their investment recommendation
before a panel of judges consisting of Indianapolis Certified Financial Analyst
society members who are certified financial analysts.
Austin Crites,
the team’s industry mentor commented, “Our Marian
team stood out from the field, delivering a presentation marked by thorough
analysis and unique insights but punctuated with confidence."
It’s that
confidence that Fergus Washington-Smith, a junior from Hamilton, New Zealand
who’s studying business analytics and finance, used in his analytical skills.
Washington-Smith created financial models and valuation techniques. “It was
really challenging,” he said. “I had to create what are simulations involving a
Monte Carlo simulation, DuPont, and various other methods to value a company,”
he added.
Other team
members include Lisa Cantú, a junior studying business analytics and finance from
Monterrey, Mexico developed an extensive understanding of the company and the overall industry it operates within. She also identified the competitive
positioning for GXO to help perform a company analysis.
Olivia
Armstrong, senior studying management and finance from Bend, Oregon, was
responsible for researching and evaluating the business risks that face GXO. This
involved evaluating all factors that contribute to the continuous operations of
GXO and ranking them on a heat map.
Carter
Kasianowicz, sophomore studying finance from Kenosha, Wisconsin, was
responsible for analyzing GXO’s Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG).
This involved creating an ESG scorecard that could be compared to other players
in the industry to see GXO’s strengths and weaknesses while developing a
stronger understanding of the factors that impact a company's ESG score.
Bruce C. Gonyea, the team’s faculty advisor commented, “Our
students performed remarkably in the finals against Purdue University’s
graduate school team exhibiting great maturity and poise,” he continued. “But
what made me most proud was after the winner was announced, the entire team
walked over and shook the hands of everyone on the Purdue team. These students
truly represent the Marian culture and our Franciscan sponsorship values.”
The Marian
University team was one of 10 teams representing Indiana and now advances to
the Chicago regional competition, which includes teams from The Ohio State
University, the University of Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa State, Marquette, and
the University of Minnesota. The organization currently engages more than
6,000 students from over 1,000 universities on a worldwide basis.
