Notre Dame business students win stock pitch competition

A team of University of Notre Dame undergraduate business students won first place at the 2026 Florida Investment Conference, hosted by the University of Florida’s Warrington College of Business.

The Notre Dame team of Kristen Arieta (BBA ’28), Adelyn Clemmer (BBA ’28), Alex Moeller (BS ’28) and Quinn Reilly (BBA ’28) presented an investment pitch on WaterBridge Infrastructure (NYSE: WBI).

(from left to right) Kristen Arieta, Quinn Reilly, Alex Moeller and Adelyn Clemmer.

“This win exemplifies the high-quality research and analysis that we have come to expect from our club’s membership, said John Stiver, associate teaching professor of finance at Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business, who advises the Notre Dame Investment Club, the student club that organized the stock pitch team.  “The team presented a well-structured and compelling investment case, exhibiting poise under pressure and thoughtful, disciplined responses during the Q&A.”

The event serves a dual purpose: providing students the opportunity to present original equity research in a competitive setting and connecting them with finance professionals from hedge funds, institutional asset management, private equity, investment banking and alternative investing. Winning teams split $6,000 in cash prizes.

Mendoza sophomore Reilly said the competition appealed to him as an opportunity to dive deeply into a company he found fascinating, but another type of “company” also made the experience truly memorable.

“While competing in the conference itself was meaningful — hearing from incredibly successful finance professionals from firms like Blackstone, demonstrating our own capabilities as investors through the pitch, and interacting with peers from other academic institutions — the time spent with my team outside the event was most memorable,” said Reilly, who will serve an internship in Morgan Stanley’s Investment Banking Division during summer 2027. “The overall experience was incredible, but even more meaningful was the chance to travel to Gainesville with some of my closest friends in Mendoza. I’m so grateful that the College makes these opportunities easily accessible for its students.”

Teams are evaluated on the quality and rigor of their financial analysis, the strength and clarity of their investment thesis, valuation methodology, risk assessment and ability to respond to questions from a panel of industry judges. Notre Dame’s team was selected as the top entry among participating universities following its formal presentation and the question-and-answer session with judges.

“What surprised me most was how much my perspective on our company evolved from the beginning to the end of the process,” said Arieta, who also plans an internship with Morgan Stanley in summer 2027. “As we continued researching, stress-testing our thesis, and getting feedback, I began to better understand the nuances of our investment view and develop a stronger conviction in our stance. The most rewarding part was collaborating with my teammates and constantly bouncing ideas off one another. It showed me that strong investment ideas are built through thoughtful analysis and open-minded discussion.

“This experience taught me the importance of expanding my perspective and adapting to new ideas, a skill that applies to my coursework and as I pursue a career in finance after graduation.”

The win tops off a list of impressive recent case competition results for the Notre Dame Investment Club, including the 2025 Cornell Stock Pitch Competition (2nd place), 2023 University of Michigan Engage Stock Pitch Competition (1st place) and 2023 Cornell Undergraduate Women in Investing (1st place).

In addition to the competition, the Florida Investment Conference features keynote speakers and panel discussions with finance professionals representing a range of investment disciplines, offering participants exposure to current industry perspectives and career pathways. Speakers included Jon Korngold, head of Blackstone Growth; Scott Friedman, co-founder and partner at Soroban Capital Partners; and Derik Coffey, portfolio manager at Channing Capital.

The Florida Investment Conference is organized by the Warrington College of Business’s Gator Student Investment Fund, the Founders Fund and the Finance Professional Development Program.

Visit the Notre Dame Investment Club website for more information about the club and Mendoza College of Business website for information about the undergraduate business program.