The University of Alabama’s Culverhouse Investment Management Group will travel to Denver, Colo., to compete in the American regional CFA Institute Research Challenge after its first-place victory in the Southern Classic competition in Atlanta, Ga., on Feb. 22.

Five members of CIMG, a student-run investment group, worked as research analysts of the real-world stock of Mohawk Industries, a flooring manufacturer based in Calhoun, Ga. They were judged based on their abilities in financial analysis and, to demonstrate their proficiency, the team prepared a written report on its assigned company and gave a presentation reporting the results of the research and defending the thesis.

The team included junior Forrest Hames, junior Kevin Whitney, sophomore Jeff Priester, junior Zac Adams and sophomore Daniel Smith.

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“We did hours on hours of just reading over what we were going to say and getting our presentation down,” Hames, vice president of investment strategy, said.

Hames said CIMG began its work at the beginning of the school year, collaborating on the research over the fall semester and putting together the report in December.

“We watched the videos of the teams last year. We read the reports of the ones that won the global competition, just kind of scouting out what winners have done in the past,” Hames said.

The UA team was the only team to receive an A on its presentation and one of two teams to receive an A on its written report. Coming off a middle-of-the-pack finish during its first appearance at the challenge last year, CIMG was awarded the Ridgeworth Cup over UAB, Georgia State and Georgia, who previously held the title.

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Whitney, vice president of public relations, said the experience was made more valuable because they were able to get reactions from veteran experts in the field.

“It’s just cool to be able to present in front of them and get their feedback as someone who’s been doing this for 30 years and is managing billions of dollars,” Whitney said.

Adams, committee head of health care and financials, said many of the 13 teams that CIMG competed against in Atlanta were MBA students.

“They were like 26, 27 years old and had investing experience, while we were just a bunch of young whipper-snappers,” Adams said.

Members of the team said their most memorable moment at the competition was getting to talk to UA President Judy Bonner.

CIMG advanced to compete in Denver on March 18 and 19, where they will face the same challenge but on a much larger scale – against a pool of 49 teams from across the Americas. Hames said they are excited to encounter teams much different from the ones they have seen in the South.

Adams said the audience during their presentation could reach more than 1,000 people, as opposed to the 50-person crowd in Atlanta.

“If we win, we would be like the best team in the western hemisphere, which is a crazy thought,” Adams said. “We’re one really good day away from being the best team in the hemisphere.”

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