UM College of Business Student Investment Program Sees Returns
MISSOULA – Students from the Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ College of Business received $8,787 from D.A. Davidson for their success in the investment firm’s Student Investment Program, which provides teams at 21 universities with $50,000 to invest in the stock market.
The investment program is designed to provide hands-on experience in finance, stock research, portfolio management and investment topics. For many Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ it’s their first experience investing real money, and the program lets them manage a diversified investment portfolio under the guidance of a financial advisor and the class professor for a semester.
At UM, Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ analyze and discuss investment opportunities and implement their decisions as part of the college’s “$50,000 Portfolio” course, taught by Brad Cederberg, a 2006 College of Business graduate and senior vice president and financial advisor at D.A. Davidson in Missoula. Not only do Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ learn the skills and techniques of investing, the course also encourages collaboration, teamwork and communication among Ñý¼§Ö±²¥.
The top-performing teams receive a check for their college, earning half of any portfolio gains above 5%. This year, UM finished fourth among the other 21 universities, with a return of 40.2%. In comparison, the S&P 500 return was 27.1% during that period.
In 2017, UM won the Fred Dickson Memorial Award for having the top earning program. Five UM College of Business Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ then were invited to attend the Davidson Institute event.
The was started by UM alum Ian B. Davidson. He started the program in 1985 at a lone university but quickly expanded the program to include many throughout the state and region. Considered highly innovative at conception, the program has proved invaluable for Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ who are considering careers in finance.
UM was the second institution to join the Student Investment Program in 1986. Since the profit-share payout began in 1995, D.A. Davidson has donated $62,664 to UM.
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Contact: Garrett Finke, College of Business director of marketing and communications, 406-243-4436, garrett.finke@umontana.edu