From April 5th to 7th, the finance-themed “Investment Challenge: Buy or Short” competition marked the largest endeavor undertaken by the Investment Management Club. Twenty-one students, organized into six teams, put in practice their academic knowledge to show the best analysis of a publicly-traded company.
Read more about the event in Bulgarian, covered by Investor.bg.
During the competition students analyzed a company, selected by them, and provided a recommendation on whether to buy or sell its stock in less than 48 hours. The analysis encompassed various facets including industry insights, macroeconomic conditions, business model evaluation, and financial performance assessment.
“We are happy that so many students of all standings turned up to the challenge,” said the IMC President Teodor Nedev. “It’s a great sign that there are many students at AUBG who are passionate about finance and that the discipline has a promising future here.”
Guidance from experienced mentors in finance and economics, hailing from recognized institutions such as Expat Capital, Institute of Market Economy, GlycanAge, INVENIO Partners, LAUNCHub Ventures, ING Bank, and VMware, was available to each team. On April 7th, the teams had to present their analyses and field questions within a 20-minute time frame.
An expert jury comprising Irina Dimitrova from LAUNCHub Ventures, Lyubomir Lekov, the founder of Investor.BG, and Jorg Geyer, the executive director of 3D Stockpicker, evaluated the presentations.
Impressively, all teams recommended positive buy actions, showcasing their adeptness in financial analysis. The top spot was secured by the following teams:
- Crazy Investors team – Anton Peredi, Alexander Sisun, Svyatozara Kakhovska, and Viktor Ivanov, who scrutinized the renowned arms manufacturer, Lockheed Martin.
- Capital Crusaders team – Nikolai Ganev, Nikola Martsenkov, Hristina Tsonkova, and Mihail Zarev, advocated for investments in the well-established media conglomerate, Disney
- Enver Trade team – Danila Kapustin, Arina Agayeva, Nurmukhamad Tashbolotov, and Ekaterina Guseva, who analyzed the real estate entity, Rexford Industrial
The rest of the teams focused their recommendations on the shares of chip manufacturer Nvidia, the software company Palantir, and the online forum Reddit.
The otherwise unusual choice of Panitza Library as the venue for the challenge was met with unanimous appreciation, offering a cozy and practical setting that enhanced the overall experience. The event was made possible thanks to the support of sponsors including Spa Hotel Elbrus – Velingrad, Ficosota, Lyubimka, Fyre Hustle Drink, OfisiTE, Water “Svoboda,” and Medovina EOOD.
