Student Managed Investment Fund

The Student Managed Investment Fund (SMIF) was created in Spring of 2017 as an actively managed student investment portfolio of $250K to help bridge the gap between the academic and professional spheres. With an overall goal of $1 million, the fund hopes to continue to grow and give back to students through scholarship opportunities. The effort to initiate the Student Managed Investment Fund was spearheaded by Fred Tattersall, a 1970 WVU finance graduate. Mr. Tattersall, along with the help of nine other Founders Club members, were able to establish the fund.

The SMIF, which is connected to a course in Applied Investment Management taught by Brant Hammer, teaches students technical and fundamental analysis, development of successful trading strategies, industry analysis and communications skills, while providing them with the analytical tools to make sound investment decisions.

Our Experiences

Experiential learning plays a large roll in what differentiates SMIF from the typical classroom setting. A bi-annual trip to New York City for the students opens incredible doors of opportunity, and it allows them to test their knowledge and research, as they converse with individuals from Market Makers on the NYSE floor to C-suite executives of corporations of all areas. Students are able to witness professionals in their element and see day-to-day operations. After returning home, students have a more complete idea of what life after college can look like and how to obtain their goals of becoming professionals in the industry.

During these trips, students have the opportunity to connect with WVU alumni that have created a path for themselves in the industry and now call NYC home. Building these connections between current students and alumni has helped propel our students to new heights and open doors for them to begin their careers. 

Due to the strong connections the SMIF has with WVU alumni and the state, the students were able to be part of MVB Financial Corp, a West Virginia based company, being listed on NASDAQ. Students joined the company on the floor as they rang the closing bell and were broadcasted on the seven-story tower in the center of Times Square. 

Firms Visited:

• JP Morgan
• RBC Capital Markets
• UBS Wealth Management  
• Ares Capital Corp
• UGG
• Bloomberg
• S&P Dow Jones Indices 
• GTS
• Alliance Bernstein
• Bank of America  Merrill Lynch    
• Match Group  
• COACH 
• NASDAQ     
• NYSE    
• A XA  

Portfolio

The Student Managed Investment Fund takes a top-down portfolio management approach. Students are separated by sector into teams of 2 to 3 analysts. They utilize Bloomberg terminals to perform technical and fundamental analysis on firms within their sector. They are tasked with making buy/sell decisions throughout the semester based on current market conditions. At the end of each semester, analysts present their findings during a Stock Pitch, which is presented to the Advisory Board, and serves as an opportunity to provide an update on the portfolio’s performance during the past 6 months.

Our Analysts

The Student Managed Investment Fund is comprised of 16 student analysts who are in their senior year of study at WVU. Analysts are chosen through a formal interview process, conducted by finance faculty and current analysts, that evaluates the student’s educational experience, investor knowledge, interest in the industry and work ethic. Our analysts consist of a variety of undergraduate majors including finance, accounting, economics and math. The only prerequisite for the course is an A in FIN 310 – Investments. Students receive 3 credit hours per semester for this course. The analysts meet twice a week, in a round-table forum, to discuss market trends, news and portfolio performance.

After graduation our analysts enter the work force with increased knowledge of the markets, which helps them get placed at top firms, such as NatWest Markets, Merrill Lynch, EY, Alvarez and Marsal, Bloomberg and GTS.