Congratulations to the Winners of the 2026 Young Investors Society Case Study Competition at the GYIS event in NYC!
Samriti V: Northwest High School, Maryland
Saher K: Northwest High School, Maryland
Vedant B: Independence High School, Texas
Shawn C: Stanford Online High School, Texas
This year’s Case Study Challenge pushed students to think like real-world investors and corporate strategists as they analyzed one of the most talked-about acquisitions in recent footwear history: Crocs and the Hey Dude acquisition.
Participants explored Crocs’ remarkable turnaround from near bankruptcy to becoming one of the most successful retail brand comebacks in recent history. Students then evaluated the company’s $2.5 billion acquisition of Hey Dude, examining the strategic rationale, financial implications, growth opportunities, risks, and whether the deal would ultimately create long-term shareholder value.
Throughout the competition, students demonstrated exceptional analytical thinking, financial acumen, teamwork, and presentation skills as they tackled a complex business challenge faced by a publicly traded company.
Congratulations to all of our finalists and winners for their outstanding work and thoughtful investment analysis. The quality of presentations this year was truly impressive and showcased the incredible talent within the YIS community.
A special thank you to Oaktree Capital Management, L.P. for sponsoring this year’s Case Study Competition and helping provide students with an immersive, real-world learning experience and a thank you to all the Case Study Judges as well as our Case Study Finals Judges, Jerilyn Castillo McAniff, Susan Kempler and Steven Watson Your support allows young investors to develop critical thinking, valuation, and decision-making skills that will serve them throughout their academic and professional careers.
We are proud of every student who participated and look forward to seeing what the next generation of investors and business leaders accomplishes in the future.