Natixis IM announces fifth edition of The Students Challenge

Challenge invites final year Undergraduate Students to work together to manage a virtual portfolio

Boston, 7 November 2024 – Natixis Investment Managers (Natixis IM) is pleased to announce the launch of the fifth edition of The Students Challenge for the 2024/25 academic year. Registration is now open, inviting applications from business schools, engineering schools, and universities worldwide. Eligible participants must be in their final year of an undergraduate degree or currently pursuing a master’s degree, with a strong interest in finance.

The Students Challenge offers a unique opportunity for aspiring asset-management professionals. Participants are required to form teams of 4-6 members, which may include students from different institutions, to collaboratively address real-world financial challenges. The challenge partners with industry leaders FactSet and Morningstar Sustainalytics, enhancing the program’s ambitious vision.

Christophe Lanne, Global Chief Human Resources Officer and Global Chief Operating & Transformation Officer said, “The Students Challenge presents a pivotal opportunity for students aspiring to build a career in finance. This initiative not only provides real-world experience in investment management and portfolio management, but also facilitates mentoring and knowledge-sharing with best-in-class industry professionals. We are looking for diverse teams that will collaborate, design strategies, tackle challenges, and effectively build their skills sets and present their insights throughout their experience.”

Twelve teams will be selected from the applicant pool to participate in this immersive experience, where they will manage a virtual multi-asset portfolio valued at $100 million. Teams will focus on sustainable investing while adhering to specific investment constraints. In March and April 2025, they will present their investment strategies, findings, and portfolio performance to our panel of Asset Management professionals.

Hsun Ti Huang, 2022/2023 Winner said, “My experience with The Students Challenge by Natixis Investment Managers has been instrumental in advancing both my career and personal growth. Throughout the competition, my team and I developed a robust portfolio strategy that addressed the diverse needs of prospective clients while adapting to ever-changing market sentiment.”

The final will be held in Paris, on 22nd May 2025, with three finalist teams being taken forward to compete for first place and a monetary prize. The registration deadline for the challenge is 26th November 2024, with the announcement of the selected teams being in early December.

Link for registration: https://digicomnat.survey.fm/the-students-challenge-by-natixis-investment-managers-2025

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Natixis IM announces fifth edition of The Students Challenge

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About Natixis Investment Managers

Natixis Investment Managers’ multi-affiliate approach connects clients to the independent thinking and focused expertise of more than 15 active managers. Ranked among the world’s largest asset managers¹ with more than $1.4 trillion assets under management² (€1.2 trillion), Natixis Investment Managers delivers a diverse range of solutions across asset classes, styles, and vehicles, including innovative environmental, social, and governance (ESG) strategies and products dedicated to advancing sustainable finance. The firm partners with clients in order to understand their unique needs and provide insights and investment solutions tailored to their long-term goals.

Headquartered in Paris and Boston, Natixis Investment Managers is part of the Global Financial Services division of Groupe BPCE, the second-largest banking group in France through the Banque Populaire and Caisse d’Epargne retail networks. Natixis Investment Managers’ affiliated investment management firms include AEW; DNCA Investments;³ Dorval Asset Management; Flexstone Partners; Gateway Investment Advisers; Harris | Oakmark; Investors Mutual Limited; Loomis, Sayles & Company; Mirova; MV Credit; Naxicap Partners; Ossiam; Ostrum Asset Management; Seventure Partners; Thematics Asset Management; Vauban Infrastructure Partners; Vaughan Nelson Investment Management; and WCM Investment Management. Additionally, investment solutions are offered through Natixis Investment Managers Solutions and Natixis Advisors, LLC. Not all offerings are available in all jurisdictions. For additional information, please visit Natixis Investment Managers’ website at im.natixis.com | LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/natixis-investment-managers.

Natixis Investment Managers’ distribution and service groups include Natixis Distribution, LLC, a limited purpose broker-dealer and the distributor of various US registered investment companies for which advisory services are provided by affiliated firms of Natixis Investment Managers, Natixis Investment Managers S.A. (Luxembourg), Natixis Investment Managers International (France), and their affiliated distribution and service entities in Europe and Asia.

¹ Survey respondents ranked by Investment & Pensions Europe/Top 500 Asset Managers 2024 ranked Natixis Investment Managers as the 19th largest asset manager in the world based on assets under management as of December 31, 2023.
² Assets under management (AUM) of current affiliated entities measured as of September 30, 2024, are $1,427.2 billion (€1,279.0 billion). AUM, as reported, may include notional assets, assets serviced, gross assets, assets of minority-owned affiliated entities and other types of nonregulatory AUM managed or serviced by firms affiliated with Natixis Investment Managers.
³ A brand of DNCA Finance.

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About Morningstar Sustainalytics 

Morningstar Sustainalytics is a leading ESG data, research, and ratings firm that supports investors around the world with the development and implementation of responsible investment strategies. For more than 30 years, the firm has been at the forefront of developing high-quality, innovative solutions to meet the evolving needs of global investors. Today, Morningstar Sustainalytics works with hundreds of the world's leading asset managers and pension funds who incorporate ESG information and assessments into their investment processes. The firm also works with hundreds of companies and their financial intermediaries to help them consider material sustainability factors in policies, practices, and capital projects. Morningstar Sustainalytics has analysts around the world with varied multidisciplinary expertise across more than 40 industry groups. For more information, visit www.sustainalytics.com.

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