CPA-SAF Centre for Capital Markets Education Contributes to SAF Success

Wednesday, October 7, 2015

By: Steve Jones, SAF Communications Writer

Established in 2012 with funding from the Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario, the CPA-SAF Centre for Capital Markets Education gives undergrads extra-curricular opportunities to acquire hands-on training in equity valuation and portfolio management, and to develop their technical and professional skills.

“Our most significant expenditures are in financing databases, Capital IQ and Bloomberg terminals,” reports Centre director Neil Brisley, a finance professor.

In 2014 the Centre offered a range of industry-standard resources. The Bloomberg terminals, for instance, enabled students to analyze real-time data relating to equities, bonds, and derivatives, while Capital IQ information honed their assessment skills.

Equally important, the Centre supported student participation in such events as UBC’s National Investment Banking Competition, the Chartered Financial Analyst Investment Research Challenge (Ontario), the Battle of Bay Street competition at Ryerson University, and the Redefining Investment Strategy Education conference in Ohio.

In May the Centre successfully conducted its first Bond Rating Case Poster Competition, using student Mary Zhang’s case that outlined a fictional oil and gas industry scenario. Seven teams presented their findings -- on impressively detailed and colourful wall posters -- to a judging panel that included three Dominion Bond Rating Services (DBRS) representatives.

“These posters facilitated instant feedback and informal interaction,” Brisley reports, “and students enjoyed the roundtable debriefing with DBRS executives.” Not only did the case give students a chance to win DBRS-sponsored cash prizes, it offered a unique way to deepen their knowledge and confidence just before co-op job interviews.

Another source of pride was hEDGE 2014, the latest version of an annual three-day, SAF student-organized capital markets conference. It drew approximately 100 top undergraduate students from across Canada and the U.S.

What lies ahead? “We might repeat the bond rating case competition,” hints the director. “I already have the germ of an idea for it!”