The Plaster College of Business and Entrepreneurship's Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) student team won second place at the 2024 CFA Institute Research Challenge, giving students a first-hand glimpse of working in real-life situations through an educational setting.

The team comprised of four Lindenwood University finance seniors - Hannah Branstetter, Connor Triplett, Parker Cooke, and Abraham Boston - and was advised by Lindenwood Professor of Finance Dr. Gaurango Banerjee. The competition included university-sponsored teams from the region that researched a designated publicly traded company, prepared a written report on that company, and presented their findings to a panel of judges. The judges scored each entry based on the quality of the report and presentation.

The Lindenwood students began working on their report in October 2023 and made their final presentation on February 16. Additionally, each Lindenwood team member received $500 from the St. Louis CFA Society for their second-place finish.

"Representing Lindenwood in the CFA Challenge was an exhilarating journey that not only tested my financial knowledge but also honed my teamwork and presentation skills," Boston said. "Collaborating with my peers to analyze real-world financial data and formulate investment strategies was both challenging and rewarding."

Students also gained invaluable knowledge and networked with their peers throughout the competition, which will help them achieve success in their professional careers.

Branstetter said the competition was a challenge, but the experiences were worth it. The team's second-place finish is proof.

"The nature of the Challenge was daunting, but I am so grateful for the connections I made with my incredible teammates, faculty mentors, and industry mentor," she said. "We all continuously supported and pushed each other to do better, regardless of any difficulties we encountered, and I could not be happier with our results."