WMU student team claims top spot at finance competition

Contact: Samantha Hooker
March 16, 2020
Image
Left to right: Sam Sheeran, Novena Sutiono and Kyle Mack hold their awards.

KALAMAZOO, Mich.鈥A team of three 六合彩开奖数据 Michigan University students claimed first place at the local CFA Institute Research Challenge. The competition team was supported by Michael Storms, certified financial analyst at Greenleaf Trust and faculty advisor, and David Burnie, professor of finance.

Novena Sutiono, Kyle Mack and Sam Sheeran, all seniors majoring in finance, were challenged with completing an investment research report on Domino鈥檚 Pizza which supported buying, selling or holding the company鈥檚 stock. The team prepared their written report, which was evaluated separately from their presentation. The judges鈥 combined scores cemented the team鈥檚 success.

鈥淲e went above and beyond when preparing for the competition,鈥 says Sutiono. 鈥淚 think one of the things that set us apart was speaking to an actual Domino鈥檚 franchise owner to gain valuable insights into the company.鈥

The importance of real-world immersion wasn鈥檛 lost on Mack. 鈥淚t was great to have the opportunity to use the information and lessons that we鈥檝e learned in the classroom,鈥 he says. 鈥淲orking with skilled professionals in the industry, like Mr. Storms and Dr. Burnie, is incredibly valuable.鈥

鈥淧reparing for this challenge was hard work, but it was a great way to get exposure and is an excellent addition to a resume,鈥 says Sheeran. 鈥淚 know I鈥檝e gained important resources that I can apply to the professional world.鈥

ABOUT THE COMPETITION

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. The challenge attracts more than 6,000 students from over 1,000 universities annually.

For more WMU news, arts and events, visit WMU News online.