Students Analyzed the Impact of Inflation by Accessing Key Datasets and Developing Financial Models Through the S&P Capital IQ Product Suite

NEW YORK, Dec. 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- S&P Global Market Intelligence ("Market Intelligence") concluded its first ever Finance Challenge Hackathon, a competition open to students at Pennsylvania-based Villanova University. The competition was conducted in collaboration with The Center for Business Analytics at the Villanova School of Business (VSB). The winning team will visit the S&P Global headquarters in New York to meet with and receive mentorship from Market Intelligence senior leadership.

Participating students were invited to construct a mix of quantitative and qualitative analysis to solve a financial challenge statement. During the two-week hackathon challenge, students used datasets and financial modeling capabilities within Market Intelligence's core desktop platforms to assess the impact, response, and find solutions to inflation in 2022. The students worked to understand how inflation has affected a company, individuals, or entire markets while also commenting on responses and where additional measures might be taken to continue addressing high inflation rates.

The winning team, Team Elite, led a project focused on analyzing the negative impact of inflation on the real estate investment trusts (REIT) industry. Leveraging both S&P Capital IQ and S&P Capital IQ Pro, they analyzed Secured Overnight Financing Rates (SOFR), real estate debt markets, acquisitions and dispositions, and REIT valuations. Their findings showed why increasing rates are unfavorable to the industry while proposing varying measures to decrease inflation in tandem with helping with the REIT industry's recovery.* 

"We are thankful to Villanova University for their collaboration in helping students build the skills critical to their future careers while creating stimulating and macroeconomic-relevant exercises for them to address a market-related challenge," said Lynn Bachstetter, Global Head of Cross Product Market Development at S&P Global Market Intelligence. "Bringing together students with curious minds and providing access to our flagship desktop platforms, which are used by today's leading business and financial professionals, generated creative and innovative ideas about building a more stable economic environment and we thank every student for their participation."

During the hackathon, more than thirty students formed fifteen teams and partnered with each other to develop models that showcased their findings. The students leveraged the financial datasets alongside tools within the S&P Capital IQ and S&P Capital IQ Pro platforms (including Excel Add-in, Mapping, Screening, etc.) to analyze the current state of the economy.

"The partnership between S&P Global Market Intelligence and the Center for Business Analytics has been a tremendous success," said Daniel Wright, PhD, Faculty Director of the Center for Business Analytics at VSB. "The hackathon brings classroom theory to real-world practice and squarely fits with the VSB student experience."

Upon conclusion of the hackathon, participants received a digital credential. Second and third place winners also received S&P Global branded merchandise.

*The views of students who participated in the Finance Challenge Hackathon do not represent the views of S&P Global Market Intelligence.

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S&P Global Market Intelligence 
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SOURCE S&P Global Market Intelligence