This competition distinguishes itself among Canadian university finance competitions through its long-term investment philosophy.

The challenge for the 24 participating teams was to develop an investment strategy with 20 stocks, to be held for a period of 20 years without any transactions. The best strategy, presented in a comprehensive investment report, was selected by a committee of finance professors and COTE 100 portfolio managers.

This innovative financial competition is supported by a major donation of $500,000 from COTE 100, distributed over 20 years. Thanks to this contribution, a sum of $20,000 will be invested at the end of the annual competition in the COTE 100 Fund, a philanthropic fund at Université Laval, based on the winning strategy. The team proposing the winning strategy receives a $5,000 bursary, which has been awarded in this first edition to Benoit Gagnon, a student in the Master of Science in Administration - Finance program, and Jean-Christophe Parent, a student in the Bachelor of Business Administration - Finance program. 

COTE 100 also provided training to help teams develop their strategies. “Most university projects are focused on the short term,” explains Marc L’Écuyer, Senior Portfolio Manager at COTE 100. “Thus, it was important for us, beyond the financial contribution, to support the students in this competition by introducing them to the long-term investment philosophy, as well as the criteria and tools they need to successfully select securities over a 20-year investment horizon.”

“Ambitious projects such as the COTE 100 20-20-20 competition enable tomorrow’s financiers — students — to remember the essential investment qualities of patience and rationality while highlighting the fundamentals of finance,” points out Benoit Gagnon, a member of the winning team. His teammate Jean-Christophe Parent adds, “I’m passionate about long-term investing because it allows us to build a solid strategy based on a vision of the future and a company’s sustainable growth. I’d like to thank COTE 100 for this initiative, which underscores the importance of thoughtful, high-quality portfolio management.”

Starting in spring 2025, it will be possible to follow the performance of the winning team’s portfolio on the COTE 100 website.