APU Celebrates Top Achievements In The Spring Edition Of CMT Association's 2023 Investment Challenge

Being one of the top 5 participating countries across the world in the Spring Edition of CMT Association’s 2023 Investment Challenge, the Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation (APU) from Malaysia proudly celebrates its School of Accounting and Finance (SAF) top achievement in both individual and institutional levels.

​The School of Accounting and Finance (SAF) at APU attained top achievement at both individual and institutional levels of the Spring Edition of CMT Association’s 2023 Investment Challenge.

Chuah Yu Tian, a Bachelor in Banking and Finance (Hons) student with a specialism in Financial Technology, won 1st Place in the Highest Absolute Return category. Yap Mei Cheng, a Bachelor in Banking and Finance (Hons) student with a specialism in Investment and Risk Management, won 3rd Place in the Lowest Max Drawdown category.

Out of almost 700 contestants from 36 universities across 50 countries who joined this 8-week virtual portfolio management challenge, APU attained 3rd place in the overall Lowest Max Drawdown & Maximum Number of Trades categories.

CMT Association stands for the Chartered Market Technician Association. It is a global credentialing body with nearly 50 years of service to the financial industry. APU was selected as one of the CMT Academic Partner Programme Institutes, which reflects its strong commitment to students’ career readiness and applied learning process.

CMT Association’s Global Investment Challenge is a competition that runs twice a year, which offers CMT Programme candidates and students at its partner programme institutes a platform to learn and apply technical analysis like top investment management professionals. Participants can build a successful portfolio over these 8 weeks.

The recently concluded Spring Edition of CMT Association’s 2023 Investment Challenge was held completely online from 13 February to 7 April 2023 based on industry-standard rules. The top 5 participating countries were India, the United States, Malaysia, the United Kingdom and Australia.

SAF opened up this challenge for any students who wish to join and offered them academic guidance. This cohort consisted of seven participants who were mentored by Mr. Thirunavukkarasu Suppiah and Mr. Vikneswaran Manual, both lecturers at SAF.

Chuah Yu Tian expressed his gratitude towards the organisers, saying that “Winning first place has been a great achievement and experience for me. Through the 8-week process, I've learned the importance of thorough research, strategic decision-making, and staying disciplined in my investment approach.”

He also added that his biggest breakthrough was understanding the significance of risk management and how it can help mitigate losses in volatile markets. “I believe that staying informed with daily news of the stock company is crucial in maintaining a successful investment portfolio. I'm honoured to have been recognized for my efforts and hope to continue building on this success in the future.”

The 3rd place winner Yap Mei Cheng admitted this was a fierce challenge for her because technical analysis is something she has yet to be exposed to in her junior level of investment and risk management studies. “I have to spend more time looking into the daily economic situation and the stock news to be able to forecast the stock trend. I'm very appreciative that the CMT Association has provided some learning material videos, which have been uploaded to YouTube to help me to get a clear picture of the technical analysis.”

In a nutshell, what both winners gained from this Challenge is that they will gain attention from recruiters of the financial services industry for internship and full-time employment opportunities. This will ultimately enhance their employability upon graduation.

Commenting on the brilliant achievement, SAF Head Associate Professor Dr. Chong Lee Lee affirmed, “The achievement of Yu Tian and Mei Cheng reflects their academic prowess and is a testament to the School’s commitment to delivering contemporary financial courses that align with professional requirements. It is also the manifestation of the School’s effort to instil the values of continuous learning, criticality, adaptability, and perseverance among our students. These qualities, coupled with their curiosity and hunger for success, have led them to this accomplishment.”