For the first time, 170 students within the School of Accounting and Finance competed in a competition that mimicked the real-world decision-making process of either financial analysts or portfolio managers. 

“Investments is an area that the financial industry hires most heavily,” explains Professor Alan Huang. “Hopefully, students get to learn how some common work tasks in Investments are handled, and how to handle them with a reasonable degree of complexity and competence”.

The competition was broken down into two phases. The first phase consisted of student groups presenting posters on either their stock analysis or portfolio management strategy to a panel of faculty representatives. In the second phase four finalists groups were selected and judged by industry experts, including individuals from BMO, Equitable Life Canada, Ernst & Young, and Independent Accountants Investment Counsel Inc.

The stock valuation required student groups to analyze the investment value of a publicly listed firm and defend their buy/hold/sell recommendations in a presentation format. In the portfolio valuation project, students chose an investment strategy and actively managed a hypothetical portfolio of $1 million in stocks, bonds, and derivatives over a course of eight weeks on a virtual trading platform, and analyzed the performance of their portfolio.

 “We had to make sure our numbers were correct,” says Ivy Lyn a fourth-year Math/Business student. “We didn’t want to look dumb in front of the experts or present false information.”

The origin of the competition traces back to Huang’s desire to challenge his students by applying their knowledge and skills in an investment project as well as integrating their project results with a presentation component. Traditionally, the Investments course provided practical experience for students in the areas of research and report writing. Acknowledging that an important piece to developing future professionals was lacking, Huang added a presentation component to the project after discussion with Associate Director of Finance Ranjini Jha and Associate Professor Ken Vetzal. 

 “The support we have received from the faculty and industry was phenomenal,” explains Huang.

The competition was also well received by students.  Approximately 100 student onlookers turned out for the final round of judging held in Hagey Hall. In the end, it was team KSSST that triumphed over 33 other teams in order to win the competition. Sally Chee Ying Chiu, Thomas Kwok, Kathleen Li, Sylvia Luong, and Sabrina Ma all fourth-year Math/CA students impressed judges with their presentation on a long-term investment plan.

“The competition was a great way for us to apply the theory we learned in the classroom, and apply it in a real-life setting,” explains Sally Chiu. “It was very different from most university projects, as it allowed us to use our creativity and our presentation skills, while applying the technical knowledge at the same time. My team and I thoroughly enjoyed the competition!”

Apart from technicality, one great aspect Huang says students may have learned from this experience was the value of teamwork and networking. “This, in my view accounts for a large part of the value of an undergraduate business degree, and probably all of an MBA degree.”