CFA Research Challenge · UMass Amherst Meet the Team →
Now Recruiting · 2027 Season
UMass Amherst · CFA Institute Chapter

Research
Challenge

2027

Join UMass's 2nd annual CFA Research Challenge team. Compete against top universities worldwide as an equity research analyst. No prior experience required.

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Equity Research ◆ Stock Valuation ◆ Industry Mentors ◆ Global Competition ◆ Career Opportunities ◆ CFA Charterholder Path ◆ UMass Amherst · Isenberg ◆ Equity Research ◆ Stock Valuation ◆ Industry Mentors ◆ Global Competition ◆ Career Opportunities ◆ CFA Charterholder Path ◆ UMass Amherst · Isenberg ◆
What Is It

The World's Premier
Student Finance Competition

The CFA Institute Research Challenge is a global annual competition providing university students with hands-on mentoring and intensive training in financial analysis.

Teams research and analyze a single publicly traded company, produce a full professional equity research report, and defend their buy/sell/hold recommendation to a panel of industry experts.

7000+
Students Participating
1100+
Universities
100+
Countries
150+
CFA Societies
How It Works

From Campus to
Global Finals

01
Form Your Team
3–5 UMass students join forces, guided by a faculty advisor and an industry mentor from the local CFA Society.
02
Research & Analyze
Conduct deep fundamental analysis on a designated publicly traded company — valuations, financial modeling, industry context.
03
Write the Report
Produce a professional equity research report with a clear buy, sell, or hold recommendation backed by rigorous analysis.
04
Compete & Advance
Present to industry judges. Winners progress from local → sub-regional → regional (Americas) → Global Finals.
Questions

Frequently Asked

Who is eligible to compete? ▾

Both undergraduate and graduate students are eligible. All majors and levels of experience are welcome.

When does the competition take place? ▾

The first round starts at the end of October and concludes in January. Sub-regional, regional, and global competitions follow in the spring if we advance.

How big is the team? ▾

Teams consist of 3 to 5 students. This year we are aiming to have 2 teams representing UMass.

What kind of support will we have? ▾

We work with our UMass faculty advisor and an industry mentor provided through the CFA Institute. The industry mentor we are provided with is someone with extensive knowledge of equity research. No prior knowledge is required to compete.

Upcoming Event

Industry Speaker Session

Rob Langrick RSVP / Register
September 21st, 2026 • 6:00 PM
Rob Langrick, CFA, CIPM
Chief Product Advocate, CFA Institute

Join us to hear from a CFA Institute leader on AI in the industry, Research Challenge tips and an open Q&A.

Rob Langrick, CFA, CIPM, is Chief Product Advocate for CFA Institute based out of the New York office. He was previously GM of the CFA Program and before that Head of Practice Analysis, overseeing annual curriculum updates to the CFA Program. Before joining CFA Institute, he led Bloomberg’s finance education division where he built and launched Bloomberg’s certification product, which has now garnered over 1M designation holders. He began his career as a sell-side equity research analyst in London and after earning his MBA from Dartmouth worked in the private equity diligence unit of Bain & Company in New York.

Seize the Opportunity

Ready to
Represent UMass?

Express your interest — no commitment required. We'll be in touch with details as we form the 2027 teams.

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