- This is an unprecedented opportunity for students to work closely with professional investors to develop their stock picking skills, as well as receive direct feedback for investment ideas.
- Networking: Participants will have the chance to interact with judges and mentors while working through the ideas, at the networking dinner, and during the pitch competition.
- Prizes: $5,000 in prize money will be granted to the participant with the best investment thesis. The second and third placed participants will respectively receive $2,000 and $1,000.
The competition was founded in 2023 by Jordan Hymowitz, Pedram Nezafat, and Corey Tobin. Competition finalists are paired with professional investors prior to the final round to help refine investment ideas and better understand professional investors’ perspectives. This year’s panel members were:
- Matthew Finn, Head of Equity Investments, Thrivent
- Jordan Hymowitz, Managing Principal/Portfolio Manager, Philadelphia Financial
- Corey Tobin, Partner/Investment Management Analyst, William Blair
- Arjune Budhram, Treasury, Millennium Management LLC
2024: Maize And Blue Stock Pitch Competition: Nurturing The Next Generation of Finance Leaders
2024: Maize And Blue Stock Pitch Competition: Showcasing Student Talents In The World of Finance
Applicants must submit a 1 to 3 page summary of their stock pitch (PDF) alongside their financial model (Excel), their resume (PDF) and their transcript (PDF) for the first round to umich-mbef@umich.edu.
Companies should meet the following criteria:
- The pitched stock should be a U.S. publicly traded company with a market capitalization of at least $100M.
- Long or short positions are eligible.
- The stock must have at least $2 million of daily volume (over a minimum of the 3-month period immediately preceding the competition).
- ADRs, ETFs, ETNs, Closed-end funds, or other exchange-traded securities, including derivatives and currencies, are not eligible.
The pitch should include:
- Company overview: name, stock ticker, market cap, and other basic financial information.
- Company description: how does the business operate on a fundamental level?
- Thesis: Why is the stock is undervalued or overvalued, and what are catalysts that support a correction?
- Financial analysis: high-level financial forecast for the next 3-5 years and appropriate price target.
Details for the 2026 Competition will be released in the Fall of 2025.
First Place: Arun Kodumuru, short RCAT
Second Place: Zev Citron, long PI
Third Place: Val Sherr, short OKLO | Aman Daga, long CACC
