Programs » The First Annual Roger F. Murray Stock Pitch Competition

The First Annual Roger F. Murray Stock Pitch Competition

During the spring semester of 2025, Fordham University’s Gabelli School of Business will host the first annual Stock Pitch Competition in honor of Roger F. Murray, a crucial figure in the history of value investing and a highly influential financial professional, economist, adviser to members of Congress, and educator.

The Competition, which will be held at Fordham’s Lincoln Center campus, provides an opportunity for students to identify an undervalued or mispriced company and construct a detailed analysis of the potential investment opportunity.

The competition is open to all university undergraduate students across the United States and internationally. Teams will consist of two to four students and team members are allowed to cross-register with undergraduates from other schools.

If you are interested in participating in this exciting opportunity, please fill out this interest form. You do not need to have formed a team at this time.

By indicating your interest, you will receive updates regarding the competition and access to important resources to help you start your research process.

If you have further questions, please reach out to Lily Pavuk and Julia Girgenti at fordhampitchcomp@gmail.com

Why You Should Participate?

  • Gain analytical experience through financial modeling and investment research
  • Receive exclusive access to videos and training resources to bolster your skillset as a research analyst/investor
  • Network with investment professionals, prospective employers, and like-minded peers across the country

        o Participants will have opportunities to interact with prospective employers for future internships and jobs

  • Add this experience to you resume or graduate school application
  • Win Prizes:

        o 1st: $4,000 Team Cash Prize
        o 2nd: $2,500 Team Cash Prize
        o 3rd: $1,000 Team Cash Prize

Important Dates

Event Launch and Individual Registration Opened

  • January 24, 2025

Registration and first round executive summary deadline

The deadline is March 1, 2025 at 11:59PM EST.

Register your team and submit your materials using this link

You must submit using the following format:

Resume Naming Format: TEAMNAME-LASTNAME.FIRSTNAME Resume.pdf
Stock Pitch Executive Summary: TEAMNAME-TICKER-ExecSum.pdf
Financial Model: TEAMNAME-TICKER-FinancialModel.xls

  • Finalists Announced: March 7, 2025
    Waitlisted Teams will be notified at the same time as finalists and updated as soon as slots become available.
  • Final Round Presentation Slides Deadline: April 9, 2025 at 11:59PM EST

Final presentations will take place at the Gabelli School of Business, Fordham University, Lincoln Center campus in New York City. There will be a celebration and networking session afterwards! Registered guests are welcome.

  • April 11, 2025

Overview

Teams of two to four students should select a publicly traded equity that they believe has the greatest potential for price appreciation over the next three to five years. The company must be domiciled in the U.S. and have a market capitalization of at least $500 million.

Teams will be judged on the quality of their research and analysis, presentation skills, and investment judgment. We encourage students to develop a well-articulated variant perspective.

Final teams will have the opportunity to present their work to and receive feedback from seasoned investment professionals from prominent investment firms.

First Round Guidelines

Submit a one- to two-page summary (in PDF format) of your investment thesis, preliminary qualitative analysis, and financial model. The summary should be analytical/predictive rather than descriptive. Feel free to use bullet points whenever appropriate.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

1. Your pitch may be a long or short recommendation of a publicly traded equity with a market cap of at least $500 million
2. An articulated view of how your investment thesis differs from the market view (variant perspective) with a well-articulated catalyst
3. A concise company and industry overview, qualitative and quantitative analyses, and an assessment of potential risks

The best candidates will demonstrate in their pitch:

a. Company Analysis: Teams must demonstrate a clear understanding of the business and financials. The analysis should include information about business segments, geography, management, and recent financial performance.

b. Valuation Analysis: Teams must provide a clear explanation of their valuation method(s) and rationale for the assumptions made. The price target must be justified and align with the investment thesis.

c. Thesis: The thesis should include one to three clear, rational points. It must also include a variant perspective that the market has not yet priced into the security, as well as a catalyst that will initiate future price movement and a time horizon for when the target price is expected to be achieved.

d. Risks: The pitch must include two to three risks to the investment thesis, as well as mitigants to those risks.

e. Qualitative: The professionalism of deliverables will be considered when evaluating applications. Slides must be clear, organized, easy to read, and include only the most important information relevant to the pitch.

Final Round Guideline

The final presentation is scheduled to take place at the Gabelli School of Business at Fordham’s Lincoln Center campus in New York City.

Each of the finalist teams will have 10 minutes to present their investment pitch to a panel of professional investors followed by five minutes of Q&A with the judges. Finalist will be asked to submit their presentation and financial model two days before the final presentations. Further details will be sent to teams via email if they are selected as a finalist.

There will be a celebration and networking event following the competition for students and investment professionals to meet and interact.

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