Student Managed Investment Fund

The Student Managed Investment Fund was started in December 2002 and is currently offered to graduate students through one course, FIN 684, which is valued at 3 credits.  Students submit applications in order to gain admission to the course for each semester.  Applications are available from the Department of Economics and Finance on the 3rd floor of Bent Hall, from the Faculty Advisor, or from the Dean’s Office.  Once the application deadline has passed, applications are reviewed and students are notified of the Selection Committee’s decisions.  If accepted, students are asked to confirm their intent to accept admission and register for the course.  Names of all students who respond affirmatively are sent to the Dean’s Office, which adds them into the course roster.

The course is designed to give the students a hands-on experience at performing investment research, investing money and managing a portfolio prior to entering the work force. Students are expected to generate investment ideas, research investment opportunities and make recommendations based on their analysis. Some of the research is performed individually while other research is done as a team. It is the student’s responsibility to initiate research ideas and to recommend specific investment actions.  Students gain extensive experience with the tools in the Financial Information Lab as part of their work.

Upon completion and presentation of their research to the class, student analyst teams may recommend the purchase or sale of securities. The class then votes on the recommendation. If the recommendation is approved, a second presentation is delivered to an Investment Committee comprised of a representative from the Treasurer’s Office, Tobin College of Business faculty, and various guest business executives.  If the Investment Committee approves the recommendation the transaction is executed. The procedures and policies governing the investment process are detailed in the Graduate Student Managed Fund Investment Manual.  The fund is currently valued at about $1million, and contains 22 stocks, 5 equity ETFs, and 1 bond ETF.
 

For more information, contact:

Dr. John Neumann
(718) 990-5554
Neumannj@stjohns.edu