CFA Sri Lanka celebrates 50th anniversary of CFA Charter

CFA Sri Lanka, a member society of CFA Institute, celebrates 50 years of the CFA charter by opening trading at the Colombo Stock Exchange, joining in ceremonies held in 26 other financial centers around the world on Tuesday 29 May.

The global market ceremonies represent the greatest number of stock exchanges worldwide opened or closed by one organisation on a single day. The ceremonies set the stage for this weekend, when more than 149,000 registered candidates from 168 countries will take the Level I, II and III CFA exams on 2 and 3 June.The events usher in a year of celebration for CFA Institute, which offered the first CFA exam in June 1963. The CFA charter sets the standard for investment practice and is a globally recognised benchmark for ethics in the profession

Following the first exam, 268 investment professionals were awarded the CFA charter. Nearly 50 years later, there are more than 100,000 charterholders in 137 countries and territories.To acquire the CFA charter, one must pass all three levels of CFA exams, have four years of qualified investment-related work experience, and agree to adhere to the CFA Institute Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct.

 “The CFA charter is widely recognised as the gold standard of investment credentials in the world,” said Malinga Arsakularatne, CFA, president of CFA Sri Lanka. “Ethics, tenacity, rigor, and analytics characterise the CFA charterholder. Earning the CFA charter demonstrates mastery of the skills most needed for investment analysis and decision making in today’s financial industry.”

The CFA Program was inaugurated in Sri Lanka in the early 1990’s with the first CFA charter awarded in 1995. CFA Sri Lanka, the local member society, is now in its 11th year, having awarded the charter to a total of 111 charter holders. Nearly 360 candidates are registered to write the examinations held in Colombo this weekend.

 “There is no better way to celebrate the success and international impact of the CFA Program than witha global event of this magnitude,” said John D. Rogers, CFA, president and CEO of CFA Institute. “The CFA Program has grown tremendously since the very first exam, expanding to more than 100,000charterholders who practice the highest level of professional and ethical standards. The financial industry has faced many challenges since the inception of the program, and I’m proud of the impact CFA Institute continues to have on ethics, education and excellence in the profession.”

Other participating stock exchanges around the world include New York, London, Toronto, as well as Singapore, Hong Kong, Mumbai andNew Zealand in the Asia Pacific region. To read further about 50thanniversary celebrations, visit celebrate.cfainstitute.org.

The original CFA Program focused on equity security analysts in a US setting and emphasised ethical and professional standards. Today, the program represents a global context, and covers topics such as fixed-income analysis, alternative and derivative investments and portfolio management. CFA Institute traces its roots to the establishment of the Financial Analysts Federation in 1947, following the call for a financial analyst certification by industry giant Benjamin Graham in 1942. FAF leaders created the Institute of Chartered Financial Analysts in 1959 to administer the CFA Program, and the two organisations merged in 1990 to form what is now CFA Institute.

CFA Institute is the global association of investment professionals that sets the standard for professional excellence and credentials. The organisation is a champion for ethical behaviour in investment markets and a respected source of knowledge in the global financial community. The end goal: to create an environment where investors’ interests come first, markets function at their best, and economies grow. CFA Institute has more than 110,000 members in 139 countries and territories, including 100,000 charter holders, and 136 member societies. Follow CFA Institute on website www.cfainstitute.org; Facebook www.facebook.com/cfainstitute; and Twitter www.twitter.com/CFAasia.