FIVE accountancy students from the University of the Philippines-Visayas were among the national finalists in the 15th CFA Institute Research Challenge.

The team was composed of Vince Dela Peña, Cathlyn Ann Ganancial, Jessa Mae Javillo, Keassel Faye Talaman and Lance Nicoudemus Tionko.

Iarl Chrystille Ilusorio, a faculty of the Department of Accounting, served as the coach of the team.

“Only six teams advanced to the finals from a total of 24 team entries from 18 universities nationwide. The competition was held virtually via Zoom on February 16, 2023,” UPV said.

“The competing teams defended their investment recommendations through a 10-minute pre-recorded presentation followed by a 15-minute real-time Q&A before a panel of industry experts,” it added.

The UPV CM placed 3rd runner-up in the nationwide ranking.

UP Diliman won the national championship, followed by the University of Sto. Tomas and Ateneo de Manila University.

The Ateneo de Davao University and the University of San Carlos placed fifth and sixth, respectively.

The IRC is an annual global competition that provides a venue for university students to assume the role of an investment research analyst and gain real-life training and experience in financial analysis, equity investment management, and professional ethics.

Teams research and analyze the financial metrics and determine the stock valuation of a designated publicly listed company.

The IRC local contest is organized by the CFA Society Philippines, a non-profit association composed of professional portfolio managers, security analysts, investment advisers, and other finance and investment practitioners.