Lessons gained from competing at the SAF Investment Research Challenge and placing second!
During our 2B and 3B terms in the Accounting and Financial Management (AFM) program, we decided to participate in the School of Accounting and Finance (SAF) Investment Research Challenge (IRC). We saw a great opportunity in this challenge to apply the knowledge that we gained in both our courses as well as our involvement in the Student Investment Fund.
The competition took place on July 9 and 10, where 16 teams competed in the preliminary round and four teams made it to the finals (including us!). The SAF IRC was an easy way for us to get exposed to the valuation and stock pitch creation process that is widely used in finance. The judging panels in both rounds asked insightful and challenging questions that pushed us to defend our recommendation and improve our communication skills. It was an amazing experience to present in front of industry professionals and answer their questions.
By competing, we gained a lot of exposure to the alcoholic beverages industry because the stock that we pitched was Corby Spirits and Wine Ltd. Going into the competition, we knew nothing about this industry, making the research of this pitch particularly challenging. By the end, we were familiar with key trends and players that have a role in this space. The SAF IRC was a lot of fun because we got to improve our presentation and teamwork skills, as well as become friends throughout the process.
The lessons we learned while competing in the SAF IRC will be valuable in any presentations we do in the future, whether that be in our coursework, or even in our future co-op work terms. Overall, we had a great time, learned a lot and we would highly recommend students getting involved with the SAF IRC if they haven’t already!