A TEAM of senior Financial Management students from University of Santo Tomas secured a podium finish in the 18th CFA Institute Research Challenge Local Finals held last month.

Competing under the name Stratos Equities, the Thomasian team composed of Justine Harold L. Quiambao, Van Albert V. Aguirre, Jason R. Custodio, and Leo Andrew H. Ramos placed second runner-up after presenting an in-depth equity research analysis.

The competition, organized by CFA Society Philippines, required participants to prepare a comprehensive investment research report evaluating the publicly listed airline Cebu Air, Inc., the parent company of Cebu Pacific.

The team’s campaign in the national contest began with the submission of a written valuation report and investment thesis, which propelled them into the Top 8 teams. They then advanced to the semifinal round, where participants submitted recorded presentations detailing their financial analyses.

The final stage featured the top four teams delivering a 10-minute presentation before a panel of judges, followed by a 15-minute question-and-answer session designed to test the depth of their research and financial modeling.

Guided by faculty adviser Inst. Lourdes Francesca D. Revadillo, with support from professors Elizabeth Vivien S. Magbata and Anthony D. Altarejos, the team competed against 38 groups nationwide in the six-month competition—marking the largest number of participants in the history of the local finals.