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Investment Management Program

The Investment Management Program is aimed at providing students with the skills, theory, and concepts needed to become portfolio managers through a pro-active educational environment.

Overview of Investment Management Program

This highly selective, pro-active class selects senior finance majors within the John L. Grove College of Business to be the sole portfolio managers, with oversight by the finance professors, of a real dollar endowment fund. The first few classes of the fall semester begin with discussion of investment goals, investment strategies, and investment criteria that will be used as guidelines to selecting securities. After publishing the final decisions, the class moves onto looking at re-evaluating their current holdings from prior classes. This process entails selling and buying securities utilizing the guidelines set up from the beginning of the semester. While continuously monitoring the portfolio, the spring semester focuses heavily on the RISE symposium and the annual dinner and report.

The IMP experience prepares students in the areas of teamwork, presentation skills, and analytical skills. Students in the class make all the decisions as a team involving the management of the investment portfolio. Also through analyzing holdings in the portfolio, based on objectives set by the class, the analyst is able to provide recommendations regarding each security in the portfolio. From these recommendations there is a discussion within the class based on the presentation and current news. The class then submits a motion on whether to buy, sell, or hold the security.

The IMP class manages the Wisman Fund. The goal of the “Wisman Fund” is to build a financial base in order to award scholarships to future business students at the John L. Grove College of Business.       

Donation Information

Investment Objective

To achieve a risk adjusted return higher than the benchmark set by the IMP class (80% S&P 500, 20% Barclays US Aggregate Bond Index) and also the benchmark set by the Financial Advisory Council (60% FTSE All World Stock Index, 40% Barclays US Aggregate Bond Index).

Educational Objective

For students to apply what they have learned in previous classes to the IMP program.

  1. Students gain practical experience investing in securities.
  2. Build team-working skills.
  3. Students apply coursework to further develop their own knowledge and gain a further understanding of skills.
  4. The abilities honed in this program are transferable to business settings.