CIMB Bhd : ASEAN’s longest-running stock challenge by CIMB in search of region’s best young traders

[KUALA LUMPUR]: The CIMB ASEAN Stock Challenge returns in 2016, promising a more innovative and challenging competition targeted at unearthing the brightest young talents in stock trading from ASEAN. In its seventh edition, the challenge offers total cash prizes worth US$38,000 and a trip to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange to undergraduates from Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand and Cambodia.

The CIMB ASEAN Stock Challenge was created to provide university students a hands-on opportunity to demonstrate their investment skills in a real time stock trading environment. It is also about exposing the next generation of investors to value creation opportunities based on thorough research of listed companies in various industries, both in their own countries, as well as in the region. This unique competition will see young investors trading across five major stock exchanges in the region i.e., Bursa Malaysia, Indonesia Stock Exchange, Singapore Exchange, The Stock Exchange of Thailand and The Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

Hamidah Naziadin, Group Chief People Officer, CIMB Group said, 'We are extremely proud of the CIMB ASEAN Stock Challenge, which is now in its seventh year. We are also pleased to announce that the Malaysian Ministry of Higher Education is officially supporting the competition for the first time this year, which is a valuable recognition of the educational value of our Stock Challenge.'

The CIMB ASEAN Stock Challenge 2016 raises the bar a few notches this year. At the national round, students participate against each other in their respective countries from 10-28 October with virtual capital of US$80,000. The top three teams with the highest returns on investments at the end of the trading period will then be judged based on their strategy papers. The team with the best strategy paper will be crowned National Champion for their country. The National Champion will receive US$800, First Runner-Up - US$500 and Second Runner-Up - US$400. All of them will also have the opportunity to land an internship with the CIMB Group.

The National Champions from the five countries will then vie for the overall Regional Champion title in Singapore in January 2017. This year's Challenge has added twists - the returns on investment of the National Champions' portfolios will be re-assessed to determine how well the investments have withstood the test of time.

'This enhancement to the judging criteria is to inculcate the mindset of researching and selecting stocks with sound fundamentals amongst the participants. This will really test their ability to distinguish stocks that have medium- to long-term value-creation prospects, instead of picking stocks for short-term gains,' said Hamidah.

Another additional feature to the challenge includes on-the-spot stock analysis, where the contestants are given the historical data of five stocks to analyse and to decide on which stock has made the most gain. There will also be a strategy presentation by the teams before the judges decide on the Regional Champion.

The Regional Champion will walk away with USD$12,000, as well as a trip to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. The First Runner-Up will receive US$8,000, the Second Runner-Up -US$5,000, the Third Runner-Up - US$3,000 and the Fourth Runner-Up - US$1,500.

Partners for the Challenge include TalentCorp, Malaysia's official entity on facilitating initiatives on talent availability for the country's long-term needs, and the five regional stock exchanges. TalentCorp is partnering CIMB on the Stock Challenge for the fourth time. Malaysia Airlines will return as Presenting Sponsor for the Challenge.

Registration for the CIMB ASEAN Stock Challenge 2016 is open from 19 - 30 September 2016 at https://stockchallenge.itradecimb.com/. Additional virtual capital of US$20,000 will be offered to those who register from 19-23 September.