Manning School Finance Students Win Annual Student Managed Fund Competition
Image by UMass Foundation
04/01/2025
By Ed Brennen
The UMass Foundation鈥檚 annual Student Managed Fund competition gives students from across the UMass system a chance to apply classroom lessons to real-world financial management.
For听Manning School of Business听students, it鈥檚 also a chance to flex the strength of the听finance听program at UMass Lowell.
UML鈥檚 student-run investment group scored听听in this year鈥檚 competition, with its portfolio for fiscal year 2024 outperforming those of UMass Amherst, Boston and Dartmouth. The top-performing team is determined based on its portfolio鈥檚 return compared with the S&P 500.
The UML team, made up of undergraduate and graduate students in Professor听Ravi Jain鈥檚 Student Managed Fund courses, was recognized at the annual Student Managed Fund luncheon, held recently at the UMass Club in Boston.
Senior business major Corey Perez, who took the course last fall, presented the UML team鈥檚 winning strategy at the luncheon.
Image by courtesy
The team was awarded $5,000 for the win, which it will reinvest in its portfolio.
Since receiving an initial $25,000 seed investment from the UMass Foundation 18 years ago, the UML fund has grown to more than $300,000. System-wide, the student-managed investment portfolio has grown to over $1.7 million.
The UML portfolio has around 30 stocks, one-third of which are replaced annually based on the recommendations of student teams in the fall and spring courses. Current holdings include Costco, Microsoft, Meta and Nvidia.
Abigail MacAllister 鈥�24, who earned a bachelor鈥檚 degree in business with a concentration in finance, is taking the class this semester as an MBA student. The Tewksbury, Massachusetts, native says 鈥渋t鈥檚 probably one of the best courses I鈥檝e taken鈥� at UML.
Image by UMass Foundation
MacAllister is joining the finance management analyst program at Bank of America in Charlotte, North Carolina, after completing her graduate degree in May. Taking the Student Managed Fund course has her feeling well-prepared.
鈥淚 haven鈥檛 had a ton of practice analyzing financials since my undergrad, so doing this course has been a really helpful review,鈥� she says.
Senior business major Stiven Adilaj, who is also taking the course this semester, will begin the professional development program at State Street Global Advisors in Boston after graduating this spring. He says the Student Managed Fund course, which gives students experience using the Bloomberg terminals in the Pulichino Tong Business Center trading room, helps him stand out in a competitive job market.
鈥淭he class gives you practical experience in equity research, which is a highly regarded career path in finance,鈥� says Adilaj, a first-generation college student from Woburn, Massachusetts.
While at the Manning School, Adilaj has also been able to add a co-op job at MFS Investment Management and internships at StonehamBank and investment management firm Franklin Templeton to his r茅sum茅.
Reflecting on his UML experience through the lens of a financial analyst, Adilaj is pleased with the payoff. 鈥淭he return on investment from UMass Lowell is great,鈥� he says.