Point72, BlackRock-Backed Contest Seeks Japan Finance Talent

Scores of Japanese college students have been obsessing over sales of toothpaste, diapers and chocolate. They have visited supermarkets and drugstores to photograph shelves, scrutinized price tags and noted which brands sit at eye level for maximum exposure.

This was all part of a competition backed by BlackRock Inc. and Point72 Asset Management to test whether the students have what it takes to work in finance by analyzing three consumer products companies.