Toronto - One of the leading student trading competitions will once again bring finance and business students from around the world to the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto. The sixth annual Rotman International Trading Competition (RITC) takes place in the state-of-the-art Rotman Financial Research and Trading Lab from February 19 to 21, 2009.

Organizers are pleased to announce that BP Canada Energy Company, Canada's leading natural gas value chain company, will be the lead case sponsor of the competition for the next three years. One of the competition's four simulated trading cases, which closely mimic different aspects of real-world markets, will be named the BP Commodities Trading Case to recognize the company's support.

In addition, a new credit-risk trading case has been developed for this year's event which will expose students to the dynamic world of fixed-income trading.

"The new case will promote an understanding of how default risk affects the prices of bonds. Students will be given a portfolio of fictitious corporate bonds from different industries," says Kevin Mak, manager of the Rotman Financial Research and Trading Lab. "Over the case, the bonds will experience credit-rating upgrades and downgrades. These credit ratings will reflect the probability of default for each bond. Using this information, the teams, composed of four students, will have to decide whether to buy more, hold, or sell their bonds."

"Despite current market conditions, we are delighted by the growing interest in the RITC," says Rotman Professor Tom McCurdy. "We now have participants traveling to Toronto from universities and business schools in China, Australia, Monaco, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom."

Media are invited to the opening "friendly" open outcry trading session and reception, which will be held at the Rotman School on Thursday, February 19 at 7:00 pm. To celebrate the competition, participants, sponsors, and Rotman faculty and staff will also be opening the market at the Toronto Stock Exchange on Friday, February 20 at 9:30 am.

In addition to BP Canada Energy Company, other sponsors of the 2009 Rotman International Trading Competition include, CIBC, Interactive Brokers, Manulife Financial, and Toronto CFA Society.

Complete details regarding the competition are available online at www.rotman.utoronto.ca/finance/lab/competitions-itc09-home.asp.

The Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto is redesigning business education for the 21st century with a curriculum based on Integrative Thinking. Located in the world's most diverse city, the Rotman School fosters a new way to think that enables the design of creative business solutions. The School is currently raising $200 million to ensure Canada has the world-class business school it deserves.