Events & Webinars

CFRA hosts global events and webinars that bring together our
experienced research leaders and industry experts to deliver ideas,
case studies, and discussions around forensic and fundamental
equity, ETF and mutual fund strategies and methodologies.

CFRA Events and Webinars

Register for one of our upcoming sessions, or view the replay from one of our recent sessions.

05
Mar

How to Sort Through the Growing ETF Universe

March 05, 2019
CFRA kicked off the recent Inside ETF conference highlighting key do’s and dont's when choosing and purchasing an ETF. In this expanded presentation, Todd Rosenbluth, our Director of ETF and Mutual Fund Research will review CFRA’s unique holdings-focused ratings approach and highlight several case studies where the lower-priced or larger ETF performed quite differently from similar sounding peers. During this session you will also hear from CFRA’s leading equity analysts who will discuss the fundamentals of the sectors and industries behind some of these funds, including technology a...
28
Feb

CFRA Legal Edge on QUALCOMM (QCOM): The FTC Case, the Apple Battle Royale, and Where QUALCOMM Goes from Here

February 28, 2019
CFRA invites you to a discussion of QUALCOMM Inc. (QCOM) and Legal Edge, hosted by the head of CFRA Legal Edge, Nick Rodelli. CFRA has a strong track record of actionable calls on QUALCOMM at major inflection points over the past 12 years (80% hit rate, 28.8% average alpha), and has closely followed the FTC v. QUALCOMM trial, the Apple v. QUALCOMM San Diego federal court case, and related litigation. During this session, Nick Rodelli and the CFRA team will discuss: Our views on the FTC v. QUALCOMM case, including an assessment of the FTC’s evidence, QUALCOMM’s defenses, our...
19
Feb

STARS & Portfolio Performance: A Review of What Worked & What Needs Improvement

February 19, 2019
During this webinar, CFRA reviewed our stock and model portfolio performance for 2018 and methodology enhancements to continually improve performance. CFRA’s proprietary STARS® (STock Appreciation Ranking System) methodology provides a highly refined, rigorous and globally-consistent process to help investors make informed investment decisions. During this session, CFRA’s Global Director of Research & Analytics Zach Gast, CFRA Strategist Lindsey Bell, and CFRA's Chief Investment Strategist Sam Stovall discussed: STARS Rating Performance for 2018 Model Portfolio Retur...
14
Feb

What You Need to Know? CFRA Forensic Research and Biggest Concerns Performance

February 14, 2019
CFRA’s robust, independent forensic research methodology uncovers important differences between reported financial results and a company or industry’s true financial health. To assist investors with idea generation and understanding financial statement risk, CFRA’s Biggest Concerns List provides an expertly curated portfolio which seeks to identify manipulative accounting schemes which mask deterioration in a company’s underlying business.   CFRA invites you to an informative webinar where we will highlight important market relevant accounting topics that investors need to k...
14
Jan

The Payments Revolution

January 14, 2019
CFRA invites you to a complimentary webinar on January 14, during which our expert equity analysts will discuss payments companies, the winners and losers, and the outlook ahead as the world goes digital. During this session, you will hear from CFRA’s Director of Equity Research Scott Kessler and CFRA Equity Research Analysts Chris Kuiper and David Holt as they discuss:   The current landscape for payments companies and their offerings Future opportunities for and potential threats to U.S. consumer finance players A view of payment networks and the next payment giants ...
09
Jan

Is it Time to Buy or Bail?

January 09, 2019
Please join senior investment strategists and research leaders from CFRA for a complimentary webinar on January 9, during which we will provide thoughts on what to consider when investing in today’s volatile and low growth market environment as we pass peak earnings/growth and look to the year ahead.   During this session, you will hear from CFRA’s Chief Investment Strategist Sam Stovall, Investment Strategist Lindsey Bell, and Senior Director of ETF & Mutual Fund Research Todd Rosenbluth, as they discuss important concerns such as adjusting expectations, targets, earnings, ...
18
Dec

Predictions 2019: CFRA's Best Ideas for the New Year

December 18, 2018
It’s that time of year again! Temperatures have fallen. The holidays are in the air. And our team is making predictions for the new year! Please join equity analysts from CFRA for a complimentary webinar on December 18, during which we will provide what we think are some of the team’s best predictions for 2019, across multiple sectors and sub-industries. As we conclude 2018 and look towards next year, CFRA’s team of analysts has been thinking about the themes, trends and developments that could move markets and stocks in 2019, and has been working on related predictions research t...
05
Dec

Cash Flows: Location Matters

December 05, 2018
Please join CFRA for an informative webinar on Wednesday, December 5. Over the past few years, companies have been using two discreet techniques to flatter their cash flow: a) reverse factoring (aka supplier factoring, structured payables programs, confirming, and/or supply chain financing) and b) receivables factoring (aka discounting receivables, selling receivables, receivables financing). Location matters as under IFRS companies classify reverse factoring differently in the Statement of Cash Flow, impacting comparability. For the sale of receivables, a new accounting standard update ...
30
Oct

Putting Pullbacks into Perspective

October 30, 2018
During this webcast, Sam Stovall, Chief Investment Strategist at CFRA and Zach Gast, Global Head of Research at CFRA answered two essential questions that investors have been asking lately, with the recent market fluctuations: How long might this decline last and how deep could prices fall? More important, how quickly could we recover and which groups could lead the way? Presented by: Sam Stovall, Chief Investment Strategist, CFRA Moderated by: Zach Gast, Global Head of Research, CFRA
18
Oct

Investors Observer & CFRA: Find Profitable Options Trades Based on Your Strategy

October 18, 2018
During this webinar, experts from CFRA and Fresh Brewed Media provided insights into how you can find profitable options trades based on your strategy. Did you know that you can get option reports on every stock that CFRA rates as 5, 4 or 3 STARS where an option trade can work, with just the click of a button? CFRA works with Investors Observer to combine our in-depth equity and ETF research and analysis with options strategies that add downside protection and can provide returns even in flat markets. In this session, we showed you how you can develop a strategy and take that strategy a...
09
Oct

Seasons Change, Sectors Change: Before Q3 Results, We Offer Our Latest Market Outlook

October 09, 2018
During this webinar, thought leaders from CFRA provided their perspective on markets, sectors and ETFs for the balance of the year and into 2019. A major theme addressed throughout the presentation is seasonality and how to better understand and capitalize on it from an investment perspective. CFRA’s Chief Investment Strategist Sam Stovall, Investment Strategist Lindsey Bell, and Senior Director of ETF & Mutual Fund Research Todd Rosenbluth, provided an overview of: An explanation of the importance of seasonality in anticipating market movements and identifying related invest...
26
Sep

How and Why to Consider Smart Beta ETFS

September 26, 2018
Advisors face a myriad of choices when it comes to identifying the best ETFs, particularly as new products continued to emerge over the last three years. Knowing how to guide your clients through the complexities of the various ETF offerings is critical to providing objective guidance. During this session, CFRA’s Todd Rosenbluth, Head of ETF & Mutual Fund Research, was joined by a panel of experts from BlackRock, JP Morgan, and OppenheimerFunds. The panelists discussed the growing usage of smart beta equity and fixed income ETFs and the appeal of these strategies for investors, inc...
12
Sep

Technology Platform Legal Risks: GDPR, Antitrusts, & More (GOOGL, AMZN, AAPL, FB)

September 12, 2018
CFRA’s Legal Edge team discussed the key legal, regulatory, and policy risks for the four dominant US technology platforms: Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, and Facebook. During this session, we reviewed the strategies you can use to model legal risks for each of these four dominate technology platforms, and discussed the positive and negative catalysts that could trigger repricing of the stocks. Legal situations are often under-covered by sell-side research. That’s why CFRA Legal Edge partners with institutional investors to understand the legal and regulatory risks related to public compani...
06
Sep

AAPL: Upcoming Product Launches and Supply Chain Beneficiaries

September 06, 2018
We anticipate a slew of Apple products to launch this fall across all major product categories, led by three new iPhones. During this session you will hear from CFRA’s senior analyst Angelo Zino and CFRA’s head of global research Zach Gast as they provide our expectations of new products set to be unveiled by Apple at its all-important annual September event, and what this may mean for investors: forecasts on the potential new device launches; expectations on the winners and losers within the Apple supply chain over the next twelve months; and the investment outlook on Apple a...
07
Aug

Lessons Learned: Case Studies in Forensic Accounting Risk

August 07, 2018
This webinar examined case studies of companies that showed financial statement red flags but weren’t placed on the Biggest Concerns list. When it comes to idea generation and understanding financial statement risk, CFRA’s Biggest Concerns List is an expertly curated portfolio which seeks to identify manipulative accounting schemes which mask deterioration in a company’s underlying business. CFRA looks at companies that have poor quality of reported financial results, operational metrics and/or corporate governance issues – and while not every company we analyze rises to the level ...
25
Jul

Active Mutual Funds Vs. Index ETFS: 2018 Mid-Year Review & What’s Ahead

July 25, 2018
Todd Rosenbluth, Head of ETF & Mutual Fund Research and Paul Beland, Deputy Director of Research at CFRA reviewed the highlights from the first half of 2018 and discuss the outlook for active mutual Funds and index ETFs. During this session, we reviewed: Equity and bond investment styles where active performed the best vs. index-based ETFs. Examples of mutual funds that are appealing based on forward looking analysis. Smart beta ETF strategies that delivered outperformance and what’s inside them. How advisors are using CFRA’s tools to leverage our sector and stock rese...
10
Jul

H2O: Will Tech Keep the Market’s Head Above Water In The Second Half?

July 10, 2018
During this session, CFRA’s leading experts provided an overview of S&P 500 and sector earnings and valuations. • CFRA’s outlook for the second half of 2018, just ahead of Q2 earnings season and a few months before the mid-term elections • A look at S&P 500 and sector earnings and valuations, highlighting sectors on which CFRA recently became more positive, most notably Technology • Details about ETFs focused on the Technology and Energy sectors, with some specific stock recommendations Speakers: • Sam Stovall, Chief Investment Strategist, Equity Research • Linds...
Sam Stovall, CFP®
Chief Investment Strategist
CFRA, Equity and Fund Research

Sam Stovall is Chief Investment Strategist of U.S. Equity Strategy at CFRA. He serves as analyst, publisher and communicator of CFRA’s outlooks for the economy, market, and sectors. Sam is the Chairman of the CFRA Investment Policy Committee, where he focuses on market history and valuations, as well as industry momentum strategies. He is the author of The Standard & Poor’s Guide to Sector Investing and The Seven Rules of Wall Street. In addition, Sam writes a weekly investment piece, featured on CFRA’s MarketScope Advisor platform and his work is also found in the flagship weekly newsletter The Outlook.

Prior to joining S&P Global in 1989 and CFRA in 2016, Sam served as Editor In Chief at Argus Research, an independent investment research firm in New York City.

He holds an MBA in Finance from New York University and a B.A. in History/Education from Muhlenberg College, in Allentown, PA. He is a CFP® certificant and is a Trustee of the Securities Industry Institute®, the executive development program held annually at The Wharton School of The University of Pennsylvania.

Follow Sam on Twitter: @StovallCFRA

Todd Rosenbluth
Senior Director of ETF and Mutual Fund Research
CFRA, Equity and Fund Research

Todd Rosenbluth is Senior Director of ETF and Mutual Fund Research at CFRA where he leads the firm’s holdings-based research efforts within the Equity Research and Fund group. Todd publishes regular thought leadership content on equity and fixed income products, maintains the quantitative fund models and supports client needs. He also serves as a member of Portfolio Strategy Committee and the Investment Policy Committee. Todd also held the position of Senior Director of ETF and Mutual Fund Research for S&P Global Market Intelligence.

Prior to joining CFRA, Todd previously served in other financial positions at S&P Global, such as International Mutual Fund Sector Specialist, Large Cap Value and Large Cap Growth Analyst and has served on the Fund Services Asset Allocation Committee. Prior to joining S&P Global in 2001, Todd was managing editor of Value Line Mutual Fund Survey and Senior Large Cap and Small Cap Value Mutual Fund Analyst. He was also a Financial Advisor with Morgan Stanley.

Todd holds a B.G.S in Finance from the University of Michigan and an MBA in Finance from New York University.

Follow Todd on Twitter at: @ToddCFRA

Lindsey Bell
Investment Strategist
CFRA Research

Lindsey Bell is an Investment Strategist at CFRA. Along with the Chief Investment Officer, she determines CFRA’s asset class allocation and equity sector level recommendations. She participates in projecting the firm’s 12-month S&P 500 price target. Her market observations and sector opinions are expressed in regular writings on CFRA’s MarketScope Advisor (MSA) platform. She oversees CFRA’s portfolio management committee which manages five portfolios of stocks. Finally, she also assists in authoring monthly European and Asian Investment Policy Committee (IPC) notes, also available on MSA. She is a frequent guest on FoxBusiness, CNBC, Bloomberg and Yahoo! Finance, etc.

Prior to joining CFRA, Lindsey worked as an Investment Strategist with S&P Global within the Investment Advisory Services division. She worked in several different capacities at TheStreet.com before that, from helping to manage Jim Cramer’s small and mid-cap Charitable Trusts, to leading trader blog conversations and writing research. She learned the ropes as an equity research analyst at J.P Morgan and Deutsche Bank covering retail companies, and began her career in investment banking with Jefferies & Company’s Mergers & Acquisition group.

Follow Lindsey on Twitter: @LBellCFRA

Tuna N. Amobi, CFA®, CPA®
Director & Industry Analyst
CFRA, Equity and Fund Research

Tuna is Director & Industry Analyst at CFRA. He is responsible for general oversight of the firm’s Consumer sector strategy and recommendations by a team of equity analysts, for hundreds of securities. He covers companies in the Internet Retail universe such as Amazon and Netflix, as well as media companies such as CBS, Comcast and Disney. Tuna previously held a similar position at S&P Global Market Intelligence where he led a core team that created and implemented a proprietary S&P Core Earnings® framework, also serving on the firm’s Analytical Policy Board. He currently authors a biannual industry survey called “Media”.

Prior to joining CFRA and S&P Global, Tuna was a Senior Equity Analyst at Lehman Brothers, New York. He participated in key decisions by the firm’s Investment Policy Committee and was highly instrumental in managing a multi-capitalization equity portfolio, with primary focus on the Technology, Media and Telecom (TMT) sectors. Tuna also gained extensive global consulting experience in his previous roles at Arthur Andersen and KPMG.

Tuna earned an MBA in Finance from the Strathclyde University Business School in Scotland, U.K. He also holds a B.Sc. in Accounting from University of Nigeria as well as LL.B. (JD). Tuna is a CFA charterholder and a Certified Public Accountant (CPA).

Peter de Boer
Chief Executive Officer
CFRA

Peter is the CEO at CFRA where he is responsible for the global strategic leadership of the firm. Peter acquired CFRA in March 2013. Previously he was Executive Managing Director at S&P Global. Prior to this role, Peter was Executive Director at Morgan Stanley and Vice President at JPMorgan where he helped develop leading Financial Technology investment banking practices. In addition, Peter was Vice President with LabMorgan, a JPMorgan venture capital division investing in financial information and technology companies. Peter graduated from Union College with a BA in Economics and holds an MBA in Finance and Entrepreneurial Management from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.

Theresa Torian
Chief Financial Officer & Chief Operating Officer
CFRA

Theresa is the CFO & COO at CFRA, leading the company’s global financial and operational affairs. Theresa was most recently the Senior Director of Finance, Corporate Controller for SNL Financial (now part of S&P Global) where she worked for approximately ten years in helping the business to scale to $250 million in revenues and over 3,000 employees. Prior to SNL Financial, she was Director of Business Management with LexisNexis and a Consulting Manager with Grant Thornton LLP. Theresa graduated from the University of Virginia with a BA in Mathematics and holds an MBA from the Raymond A. Mason School of Business, William & Mary.

Dan Concannon
Chief Revenue Officer
CFRA

Dan is the Chief Revenue Officer of CFRA where he oversees the company's global sales and marketing efforts. He has over 20 years of experience in sales management, team building and partner development including roles as the Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing at WealthEngine and CEO of GMI Ratings, an independent provider of global corporate governance, forensic accounting and ESG ratings and research. As CEO, Dan led the company to a successful exit for shareholders through a sale to strategic acquirer, MSCI, Inc. He also served as Executive Vice President of Sales & Marketing for Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) where he helped significantly increase revenues and actively participated in the sale to RiskMetrics Group (now part of MSCI, Inc.). Dan graduated from the University of Maryland and holds an MBA from Baruch College.

Zach Gast
Global Head of Research
CFRA

Zach is the Global Head of Research at CFRA, overseeing the company’s research, analytics and advisory services. Zach was formerly the Head of the Financial Institutions Research for CFRA. Prior to returning to CFRA, where he worked from 2005-2009, Zach was with Paulson & Co. and Paulson Europe where he covered financial institutions globally. He has also worked in microfinance internationally and testified before the U.S. House and Senate on small business lending and development. Zach graduated from Brown University with BAs in Political Science and Italian Studies and holds an MBA from the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University. He is also a CFA charterholder.

Eram Schlegel
Chief Technology Officer & Chief Product Officer
CFRA

Eram is the CTO and Chief Product officer at CFRA where he defines product strategy and leads technology innovation leveraging his 15 years of experience delivering commercially profitable client-centered solutions. Prior to joining CFRA, Eram was Senior Director of Commercial Solutions at Fitch Solutions for buy and sell-side markets. As Global Head of Desktop Product Development, he developed the strategy and launched the flagship Fitch Connect Web and Excel platform that accounted for over $100M of revenue targeting counterparty credit and credit markets. Prior to Fitch, Eram held product development roles at S&P Global and other information services firms. Eram graduated from Washington University in Saint Louis with a BS in Marketing & Strategy and holds an MA in Cognitive Science from Teacher’s College, Columbia University.

Heather Thomas
Global Head of Talent
CFRA

Heather is the Global Head of Talent, driving Talent strategy and related matters across the globe. Heather was most recently the Senior Director of Human Resources at SNL Financial (now part of S&P Global) where she worked for approximately 19 years helping the business scale to $250 million in revenue and over 3,000 employees. Prior to filling the HR role at SNL, Heather worked as the Director of SNL’s Content Operations. Heather graduated from Mary Baldwin College with a BA in Business Administration.

David Ibbeken
General Counsel
CFRA

David is CFRA’s General Counsel overseeing the company’s legal, regulatory and compliance matters. David served previously as Assistant General Counsel for S&P Global Market Intelligence, and as Senior Counsel for SNL Financial immediately prior thereto, where he handled a wide variety of legal matters. David graduated from the University of Virginia with a BA in Economics and holds a JD from the University of Virginia School of Law.

David Holt
Research | DENVER, CO
David Holt
Industry Analyst
Denver CO
Years at firm: 4

“What makes CFRA unique is the delicate balance of skepticism, curiosity and conviction that we experience throughout the company.”

What makes CFRA special?
The diversity of views (both long and short) across the company, which drives prudent decisions free of bias. A rarity in our business.

What’s your favorite aspect of your job?
That the delicate balance of skepticism, curiosity and conviction can often be rewarded if correctly executed.

Can you describe your typical day at CFRA?
What makes your days at CFRA different than other jobs you have had?
At CFRA, your opinions and suggestions go further, which was something I had not experienced when working at larger corporations.

Paula Ruohoranta
EMEA SALES | LONDON, UK
Paula Ruohoranta
EMEA Sales
London
Years at firm: 1

“At CFRA, everyone shares the same values
and is dedicated to the mission…No egos, no politics.”

What makes CFRA special?
You always hear how first impression is the most important one. When I joined CFRA some 18 months ago, it was in a midst of a large RFP in EMEA. We had extremely tight deadline and very complex proposal to make. I was new, nobody knew me and I needed a lot of support. I am still amazed how everyone came together to help. Every department pitched in and went for that famous extra mile to meet the deadline. Still today, there is not a one single person I could not reach out to if I need help. In essence, that is what makes CFRA special.

What’s your favorite aspect of your job?
Independence. I am given the goals and know exactly how I’m measured, but I have the autonomy over my responsibilities and daily tasks.

Can you describe your typical day at CFRA?
Everyone shares the same values and is dedicated to the mission. Many companies talk about breaking down their silos, but here people do whatever it takes to get the job done – even if it’s not written in their job description. No egos, no politics. This is a first for me.

Ahmad Halim
Research | Kuala Lumpur
Ahmad Halim
Vice President, Equity Research
Kuala Lumpur
Years at firm: 10

“At CFRA, the degree of freedom and flexibility in conducting research, coupled with the emphasis on integrity, performance and excellence, provides a healthy working environment which encourages collaboration, analytical rigor and a continuous drive for incremental improvement, while remaining cognizant of the need for work-life balance.”

What makes CFRA special?
Having worked with a large multinational corporation for close to a decade, I can testify that CFRA feels a lot more close-knit, where what each and every individual does is important and plays a part in the overall direction of the business. As we continue to grow, I believe it is very important to maintain this aspect of who we are.

What’s your favorite aspect of your job?
Even after being in research for close to 15 years, I'm happy to find that there will always be new things to learn on a daily basis, new ways of doing things, new challenges to tackle, whether strictly in research or in the day-to-day management of CFRA Malaysia.

Can you describe your typical day at CFRA?
I think the degree of freedom and flexibility in conducting research, coupled with the emphasis on integrity, performance and excellence, provides a healthy working environment which encourages collaboration, analytical rigor and a continuous drive for incremental improvement, while remaining cognizant of the need for work-life balance.

Enitan Adebonojo
Bespoke Research | Rockville, MD
Enitan Adebonojo
Rockville, MD
Years at firm: 18

“I really enjoy helping clients uncover risks in their investment decisions, and thereby save money.”

What makes CFRA special?
People…even though I don’t get to work with everyone in our office as we expand and offer more products, I truly feel we are all on the same team, working towards the same goal of keeping our clients first in all that we do, by collaborating with each other to produce the best quality products that add value to our clients.

What’s your favorite aspect of your job?
Clients…Helping clients uncover risks in their investment decisions and thereby save money. It is really fun to uncover situations where management of public companies are trying to mislead investors.

Can you describe your typical day at CFRA?
People…I enjoy the work that I do, but more importantly I enjoy working and collaborating with our team.

Chris Schenkkan
Director of Finance | Charlottesville, VA
Chris Schenkkan
Charlottesville, VA
Years at firm: 1

“As a smaller company, everyone at CFRA is willing to wear whatever hat is needed on any given day, and do it well.”

What makes CFRA special?
There are numerous things, but one that stands out to me is the people. As a smaller company, everyone is willing to wear whatever hat is needed on any given day and do it well. I like the relaxed atmosphere combined with the fact that everyone is willing and able to buckle down when necessary. And, I think that’s embodied in our corporate culture where integrity and excellence are the expectation.

What’s your favorite aspect of your job?
A couple items. First, I really am thankful to be able to apply my education directly into my work. That has not always been the case in my career. Second, I’ve really enjoyed leading the financial audit process across all of our entities with our external auditors. It’s been a great learning process and has allowed me to develop a keener understanding of our financials across the company.

Can you describe your typical day at CFRA?
I work more closely with the senior management team on a more consistent basis. The insight into corporate strategy, goals, and performance has been welcome from a knowledge, understanding, and alignment perspective.

Paul Beland
Research | Rockville, MD
Paul Beland, CFA
Deputy Director of Research
Rockville MD
Years at firm: 1

“At CFRA, there’s an infectious intellectual
curiosity that permeates the
corporate culture.”

What makes CFRA special?
CFRA has the best corporate culture I’ve experienced in my long career, and it cascades down from the CEO to all employees. There’s a pride and a tireless purpose to be the best, but never at the expense of integrity.

What’s your favorite aspect of your job?
My favorite part of my job is heading analyst training. We host several training sessions each quarter on exciting topics like effective research writing, statistical analysis, valuation, and complex forensic accounting. And while we bring in external resources when needed, we have so many highly accomplished professionals and academics working at CFRA that enjoy cross-pollinating skills to other employees.

Can you describe your typical day at CFRA?
That’s a tough question. I think one of the reasons I’ve been working as a research analyst for nearly 20 years is that every day is different.

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