Rice students win commodity competition at University of Houston

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Four Rice students took the top prize and $2,000 in cash at the University of Houston’s Undergraduate Commodity Competition Sept. 9. The event allows undergraduate students from across the nation to demonstrate their proficiency in commodity knowledge and investment research and present to a panel of judges from top firms in Houston.

Andrew Pitigoi, Evan Pitigoi, Marco Stine and Caleb Stocking represented Rice against 14 teams from other schools, many of which boast specialized trading programs. The objective of the contest was to pitch the best investment strategy and defend it against scrutiny. The Rice team’s strategy? A bold short on Brazilian corn futures.

“Despite the absence of a dedicated trading program at Rice, the team’s rigorous research, meticulous due diligence and countless hours refining their pitch paid off,” said Stocking, who is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in finance with a minor in data science. 

The Rice students’ performance not only won the competition but also garnered praise from both UH’s Bayou Capital Group leadership team and the panel of seasoned traders from top-tier firms.