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Ups and Downs

Virus provides student investors with valuable object lessons

Wild swings in the stock market sparked by the COVID-19 pandemic left many people reeling. But on the upside, 色香视频 students participating in the student-managed investment fund saw an opportunity to sharpen their financial literacy skills and prepare for their careers.

鈥淚t helps me get my foot in the door and gives me something to build on versus coming in a complete novice,鈥 said Petroy Thompson, 鈥20, who aims to work at an investment firm after finishing his business degree this summer. 鈥淗aving some sense of what鈥檚 going on is priceless.鈥

The program began several years ago with $200,000 raised by a group of benefactors led by Louis M. Ricciardi, 鈥81, and President Emeritus Dana Mohler-Faria. The money was divided equally between a traditional Standard & Poor鈥檚 500 fund and one focused on socially responsible investing.

Students researched companies, identified sound investments and presented to the fund鈥檚 governing committee of financial experts. This marked the first time the program was also tied to a course.

鈥淔or most students, this course was their first real exposure to stock market analysis,鈥 said Dr. Jeanean Davis-Street, who serves as dean of the Ricciardi College of Business and taught the class. 鈥淭hey were able to participate in an investment simulation, learn ratio analysis, assess their own risk tolerance, and learn the nomenclature of investing.鈥

They accessed real-time data using on-campus Bloomberg terminals and resourcefully found other sources of information when the pandemic forced classes to move online.

鈥淚n a time of so much uncertainty, it gave us a great opportunity to buy when the market is low,鈥 said Ben O鈥橞rien, 鈥23, an aviation science major from Belchertown, who recommended buying Molson Coors Brewing Company stock. 鈥淵ou really don鈥檛 see that many opportunities, thankfully.鈥

Working with actual money instead of a hypothetical situation added an essential dimension to the course.

鈥淚t鈥檚 one thing to teach that and another to actually experience that,鈥 said Petroy, who is from Hyde Park and recommended buying Royal Dutch Shell stock.

Petroy and Ben are putting their knowledge from the course to use with personal investments.

鈥淚 learned a lot about financial investments and picking the right stocks,鈥 Ben said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 so well run and the content you get out of it is absolutely worthwhile.鈥 

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