“You don’t learn this at school.” “Easily the best experience of my college career.” “I learned more from this than all my classes this semester. This will stand out on my resume.” “The Challenge has opened up the world of valuations to me and piqued my interest in the profession.”
This is some of the feedback from the finalists of the 2014 BVR/SPU Valuation Challenge, where 18 universities signed up to value a real business. Based on the completed evaluation forms, the Challenge was considered a great success by the participating universities. With that news, the Challenge will begin again this fall. Faculty and students interested in participating are encouraged to contact Dr. Herbert Kierulff and Adam Manson to sign up or for more information. There are cash prizes for the top three teams and a learning experience for all.
Students and faculty also benefitted from the complimentary use of data supplied by BVR and its partners. “The success of the Challenge depended heavily on the data that was supplied by BVR,” said Dr. Kierulff, Snellman Professor of Entrepreneurship and Finance at Seattle Pacific University.
BVR provided access to its Pratt’s Stats, Public Stats, Economic Outlook Update, Desktop Learning Center, and Business Valuation Update databases. BVR’s partners also teamed up with the Challenge to offer access to their valuable data. BVR would like to thank all of its great partners who offered access to their data as part of this learning experience, including:
- Butler Pinkerton Calculator—Total Cost of Equity Calculator;
- Duff & Phelps Risk Premium Report and Calculator;
- Factset Mergerstat/BVR Control Premium Study;
- The FMV Restricted Stock Study and Calculator; and
- PitchBook/BVR Guideline Public Company Comps Tool.
Stay tuned for more information on the 2015 BVR/SPU Valuation Challenge.