Lazaridis MFin candidates pitch stocks in the financial big league

March 26, 2019

On the 58th floor of Canada’s tallest office tower at the corner of King and Bay in downtown Toronto, 15 Lazaridis MFin students got the opportunity to put their skills to the test and make stock pitches to Rob Lauzon, Lazaridis BBA ’97 and Managing Director of Middlefield Capital Corporation.

Middlefield has been operating since 1979, first as a real estate developer then as an investor in oil and gas. Today, Middlefield has approximately $4 billion under management and deals in a wide array of financial products, including: ETFs, mutual funds, closed-end funds, private and public resource funds, hedge funds, real estate funds and a venture capital fund.

The students had the opportunity to be invited to the Middlefield office thanks to Lazaridis MFin alumnus, Shane Obata, MFin ’17 who is Middlefield’s Director of Investments.

“I’m really glad Shane brought you here,” says Lauzon. “We like to support Laurier any way we can.”

After introductions were made, the MFin candidates went to work trying to convince the Middlefield team that the stocks they picked were good investments. The companies they pitched ranged from across many industries, including energy, mining, financial services and apparel.

“What good analysts do is find undervalued stocks,” explained Lauzon. “Once you do that, it’s up to you to present your reasons why its undervalued in a short presentation. The best presentation is one that tells a story that leads to a compelling conclusion to buy that particular company.”

The Middlefield team provided real-time feedback to each presentation, offering notes on their analysis techniques, writing style, presentation skills and overall quality of the pitch.

“Events like the stock pitch session provide an incredible opportunity to present to seasoned industry professionals,” says MFin Toronto student, Kodie Lee. “It gives us a chance to apply our knowledge in a practical setting and get pointers on what to improve.”

Many of the students who participated in the stock pitch session are also members of the Laurier Graduate Student Investment Fund, a daily working fund governed by MFin alumni and professors and managed by current students.

“It really hits home how important the details are,” says MFin student Richard Kyereboah Jr. “It’s a lot different than presenting in class or working on the LGSIF – you really have to bring your ‘A’ game and the Lazaridis MFin program prepares you for that.”

By the end of the pitch session, the students had gained valuable insight into what the real world of financial investments requires of its buy-side analysts and how to deliver an effective pitch.

“We are very appreciative of the relationship we have with Middlefield Capital Corp.” says program director, Tony Tang. “It’s due to the Lazaridis MFin program’s small class sizes that we are able to access opportunities like this to build the skillsets of our students who will go on to find success in the finance industry.”

The Lazaridis MFin part-time Toronto program is still accepting applications. If you see yourself joining Toronto’s growing finance industry, book a one-on-one meeting with one of our admissions advisors to discuss your future.