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CFA Research Challenge 2024/25 The Local Level Final: The decision has been made

Vienna, February 28, 2025 - The CFA research challenge is a (CFA-sponsored) competition between student teams that 

  • research a publicly traded company (public information, management meeting),

  • prepare a written report („initiation-of-coverage sell-side equity research report“), and

  • present their findings to a panel of judges.

The CFA research challenge has four competition levels

  • Local level (Austria, Vienna) => winning team will participate in

  • Sub-regional level final (March, pre-recorded, online) = > winning team(s) will participate in

  • EMEA-Regional level semifinal (April live, online) => winning team will participate in

  • EMEA-Regional level final (April live, online) and Global level final (May, live in Chicago, USA).

6,700 students from 1,000+ universities participated in 2023/2024. Last year’s winning team came from University of Waterloo.

The decision

In 2025 Team Vienna University of Economics and Business led by Prof. Manfred Frühwirth and mentored by Harald Wimmer, CFA won the competition and will represent CFA Society Austria at the Sub-regional level final.

Winning Team: 4th from left Prof. Manfred Frühwirth (Faculty Mentor of Winning Team Research Challenge)

Teams and mentors 2025

All participating teams of the Research Challenge and Jury members and Professors

Subject company 2025 – PALFINGER AG

  • Industry: Industrial Engineering & Machinery

  • Sub-Industry: Technology and Innovation

Key details

  • Headquartered in Bergheim (Salzburg), Austria

  • Operates in 33 countries worldwide and total headcount of 12.500 employees

  • Global leadership in: cranes, skiploaders, marine cranes and lifesaving equipment

  • Selected financials (in EUR, FY23)

    • Revenue: 2,5 bln

    • EBITDA: 303 mln

    • EBIT: 210 mln

 

Please send any questions to:

Harald P. Holzer, CFA
Präsident CFA Society Austria & Member of the Managing Board

Christoph Olbrich