Three PennWest University students are gaining valuable hands-on experience in finance and investment research as participants in the CFA Society of Pittsburgh’s Investment Research Challenge, a regional competition that mirrors the work of professional financial analysts.

The PennWest team, composed of juniors Isaac Bell and Chase Weaver from the Edinboro campus and Maddox O’Neill from the California campus, attended the kickoff event at Howmet Aerospace headquarters in Pittsburgh on Oct. 2. The visit marked the start of an intensive project that will test their skills in equity research, valuation, report writing and presentation.

“Gaining comprehension in financial analysis will further our growth as students,” said Weaver, a finance and personal financial planning major from Titusville, Pennsylvania.

This year’s competition focuses on Howmet Aerospace, a global leader in advanced materials and manufacturing. At the event, students met company leaders and gained firsthand insight into Howmet’s operations, growth strategy, and competitive positioning in the aerospace market.

“Attending this kickoff event at Howmet Aerospace gave me good insight into the company’s operations,” Weaver said. “Learning directly from Howmet gave our PennWest group exactly what we needed to begin our extensive research into the company.”

The trio is advised by Dr. Shaun Pfieffer and Dr. Christian Ola, faculty members in PennWest’s newly formed School of Business. Together, the students will analyze Howmet’s financials, assess its market position and produce a detailed investment report, which will later be presented to a panel of industry judges.

For O’Neill, a finance and personal financial planning major from Sharpsville, Pennsylvania, the challenge is an opportunity to explore his interest in pursuing the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation and to experience firsthand what the career path entails.

“My motivation for participating in the challenge was the real-life implications,” O’Neill said. “I personally want to pursue the CFA designation, so a challenge like this is a great way to not only see if it is my passion but to get a sense of what I need to improve.”

The team has chosen to approach the project using a top-down research strategy – starting with a broad view of the aerospace sector before narrowing in on Howmet’s specific strengths, metrics and opportunities. Bell, who is pursuing a degree in mathematics with a concentration in actuarial science and minors in computer science and finance, explained that this structure allows them to understand the larger economic and industry trends that influence the company’s performance.

“Our goal is to become comfortable with the whole aerospace and Howmet industries and then use that information to help us build deeper ideas and topics that will shape our project,” said Bell, a Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania, native who intends to pursue a career as an actuary. “It has been very rewarding seeing our work come together as we begin to write our paper and discover the inner workings of this company.”

As the students progress, they’re finding the work both challenging and rewarding. The early stages involved refining their focus areas and deciding which aspects of Howmet’s operations to analyze, but now that their research is taking shape, they’re seeing how the pieces fit together to form a comprehensive picture of the company.

Faculty guidance has been key throughout the process. Both Dr. Pfieffer and Dr. Ola meet with the team regularly to review their findings and offer feedback. Their mentorship, the students said, has provided both structure and inspiration as they move through the research process and connect with professionals in the field.

Drs. Ola and Pfeiffer noted that they are both excited about the quality of this year's team and helping the students sharpen their investment acumen over the course of the competition.

Representing PennWest in the CFA Society challenge carries special significance for the team. They view it as an opportunity to demonstrate the academic rigor and collaborative spirit of their university while applying what they’ve learned in real-world settings. The students said being selected to represent PennWest across campuses is both an exciting and humbling experience – one that reinforces the value of their hard work and dedication.

“As we all are pursuing career opportunities related to investment analysis, competing in this challenge aims to further our real-world knowledge,” Weaver said.

The PennWest Finance and Personal Financial Planning (PFP) program is one of only 14 programs in Pennsylvania that meets the rigorous CFP® curriculum requirements, qualifying students to sit for the Certified Financial Planner™ exam upon graduation.

For more information about PennWest University’s personal financial planning programs, contact Dr. Michael Engdahl at mengdahl@pennwest.edu or 716-485-1409. For information about PennWest University’s finance programs, contact Dr. Christian Ola at ola@pennwest.edu or 412-327-8386.