Organization NewsAre you...University of the Philippines Bests 15 Asia-Pacific Universities to Win the CFA Institute Region

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Manila, Philippines, March 9, 2010– The University of the Philippines has beaten tough competition at the CFA Institute Regional Investment Research Challenge, earning the right to represent the Asia-Pacific region in the Global Challenge in Hong Kong next month against regional winners from the Americas, New York, and EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa) regions.

The CFA Institute Global Investment Research Challenge is a prestigious international event involving more than 480 university teams from across the world this year. Asian universities were global winners the past two years, with Singapore taking the crown in 2009 and Hong Kong in 2008.

Held in Manila just over the weekend, the regional challenge had 16 universities from China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, the Philippines, Indonesia, India, Korea, Japan, Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. All of them have gone through local competitions to represent their respective countries at the regional level. The 16 universities in the semi-final were chosen from a total of 149 teams that had taken part in local competitions in the Asia-Pacific region.

During the regional final, teams from Shanghai, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Thailand, India, and Taiwan presented to a panel of judges comprising leading finance professionals from Asia Pacific.The students were held to real-world professional standards in their analytics as well as ethics.

Sitting on the judging panel were: Charles Yang, CFA, chief investment officer of T&D Asset Management and member of the CFA Institute Board of Governors; Joel Litman, managing director of Equity Analysis and Strategy, Inc.; Anton Periquet, managing director and head of research, Deutsche Regis Partners; Teck Chye See, CFA, executive director, Malaysian Association of Asset Managers; Mohammad Shoaib, CFA, CEO, Al Meezan Investment Management Limited and CFA Institute Presidents Council Asia-Pacific Region representative.

In their final presentation, the University of the Philippines won the day with their “buy” recommendation for Energy Development Corp. (EDC), the largest geothermal energy producer in the Philippines. Their thorough analysis of the renewable energy industry, the company’s operations and finances, possible risks, and likely future business scenarios have led them to a strong intrinsic value of 47 percent above EDC’s current share price.

Addressing the regional challenge, Nestor A. Espenilla, Jr., deputy governor, Supervision & Examination Sector, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, said he was impressed with the dedication of the students and noted the competition’s importance for the development of the investment profession.

He told the students, “We look forward to having you as the next generation of investment professionals. The investments you are devoting this early to the highest levels of financial analysis suggests that the future of our financial market can only be brighter.”

Ashvin Vibhakar, CFA, managing director, Asia-Pacific Operations, CFA Institute added, “These talented students will gain some valuable experience in analyzing a company from a professional’s perspective – this will help them serve the investing public well as future investment professionals. We at CFA Institute are delighted to play a part in the advancement of the investment profession.”

The CFA Institute Global Investment Research Challenge is a unique opportunity for university students, investment industry professionals, publicly traded companies, and corporate sponsors from across the globe to jointly promote the best practices in equity research and company analysis. Additionally, all participants are introduced and held to the standard of the CFA Institute Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct.

The regional challenge in Manila was co-organized by CFA Institute and its local member society, CFA Society of the Philippines. “The challenge brings universities, students, and investment professionals together in a unique fashion, which advances the principles of ethics and professional excellence and the value of a career in the finance industry. Through this competition, students gain a taste of what it’s like to be an analyst in the real world. Finally, I am extremely proud of our local Philippines team becoming the champion in the regional challenge. I look forward to their best performance in the upcoming global challenge,” said April Lynn Lee-Tan, CFA, president of CFA Society of the Philippines.

Thomson Reuters and Wiley & Sons are global sponsors of the CFA Institute Global Investment Research Challenge.

About CFA Institute

CFA Institute is the global association for investment professionals. It administers the CFA and CIPM curriculum and exam programs worldwide; publishes research; conducts professional development programs; and sets voluntary, ethics-based professional and performance-reporting standards for the investment industry. CFA Institute has more than 98,000 members, who include the world’s more than 87,000 CFA charterholders, as well as 136 affiliated professional societies in 57 countries and territories. More information may be found atwww.cfainstitute.org.

News Source : Organization NewsAre you...University of the Philippines Bests 15 Asia-Pacific Universities to Win the CFA Institute Regional Investment Research Challenge