Student Investment Project Earns Donation for SUU
Published: November 13, 2018 | Author: Jenna Duncan | Read Time: 2 minutes
On September 27th, 2018, Tyler Pettit of D.A. Davidson Wealth and Management Companies presented Southern Utah University’s School of Business with a check donation of $2,757. The check reflected earnings generated from the D.A. Davidson student investment program by the SUU Investment Scholars Group.
The Investment Scholars Group provides students with a career vision, analytical tools, and personal investment experience. As one of the responsibilities of the Investment Scholars Group, students are accountable for managing an investment fund to gain real-life, hands-on experience with portfolio management and stock research. Students are provided the opportunity to invest real money into the stock market with the help of the D.A. Davidson Student Investment Program.
For the program, D.A. Davidson presents $50,000 each year to the SUU Investment Scholars student team.Over the course of the year, the nine students work with alumni and industry professionals serving in the Investment Scholars Group Advisory Board to invest and manage the money in the stock market. The group meets regularly to evaluate the portfolio, deciding whether to buy or sell in order to earn the greatest return. At the end of the year, half of any earnings gained over 5% are donated to the team’s school, and any losses are absorbed by D.A. Davidson.
“Beyond the returns, however, we believe the greatest benefit of this program is the hands-on education for the students involved,” explained Jacquie Burchard, Vice President and Public Relations Manager of D.A. Davidson. “This includes a wide range of topics and skill sets, including portfolio management, equity research, communications and teamwork, and more.”
The Southern Utah University Investment Scholars have been working with D.A. Davidson since 2011. The team performed especially well during this past program year, achieving a 16% return on their investment. Due to their excellent gains, the team earned more than $2,700 for the school.
“As a student, I’m given the resources and opportunities to go out and research a company to make a stock pitch,” said senior finance major Cole Einerson. “We collaborate together and practice stock pitches to a board of alumni now working in the investment world. They give us feedback and suggestions on what we did well and what we could improve. While managing the fund is what draws attention to our group, it is much more than just what students see in the spotlight. It is a resource for students to prepare to hit the ground running when they graduate.”
D.A. Davidson provides this opportunity to 20 Western and Midwestern Colleges and Universities. For the 2017-2018 program year, D.A. Davidson gave out their second largest donation since the company began donating profits 24 years ago. $70,758 from the program was donated to participating schools this year alone.
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