When business administration major Tyler Pedersen gave his presentation before his peers and a panel of industry leaders, he “blew the competition away,” said Michael Milligan, lecturer in finance and director of the student investment program in Mihaylo College of Business and Economics.
Pedersen recently took first place in the Seeking Alpha Presentation Competition at the FAME Conference at San Francisco State University. The senior was the last competitor, delivering his analysis of Walt Disney Company stocks and walking away with a total of 286 points — about twice what the second place competition had achieved, said his proud faculty mentor.
“The Seeking Alpha Stock Pitch Competition was a great experience for me. Public speaking is a professional area I am always looking to develop, so it was great to have an opportunity to gain some presentation experience,” said Pedersen. “Communication is very important in any career and you need to be able to convey information clearly and efficiently.
“Competitions like this are beneficial because I can take what I have learned in school and apply it to a real-world project,” Pedersen added. “You also gain exposure to investment professionals who can provide feedback on your work.”
Pedersen won an all-expense paid trip to New York City and Columbia University, where he will compete for the national title in February. Seeking Alpha is a platform for investment research; in order to qualify for the competition, students had to have contributed an article they researched and wrote.