2025 News 2025: UMass Dartmouth student investment fund wins UMass System competition again

Student-managed portfolio posts 20.44% return, outperforming the S&P 500 and peers across all UMass campuses

For the second time in three years, UMass Dartmouth's Student-Managed Investment Fund (SMIF) claimed first place in the annual UMass System investment competition, earning top honors for 2025 with a 20.44% return on its portfolio. The fund’s performance surpassed the benchmark S&P 500’s 15.16% return, as well as the results of undergraduate and graduate teams from UMass Amherst, Boston, and Lowell.

Launched in 2008 with an initial $25,000 allocation from the UMass Foundation, the SMIF has grown into a diversified portfolio valued at more than $300,000. For reference, $25,000 placed in the S&P 500 benchmark in 2008 would equate to about $162,000 today.

"Our students are not just learning theory—they're applying it in a real, high-stakes environment where their decisions make a measurable impact. Their consistent success is a testament to their preparation and professionalism."

Students participating in the fund gain quantifiable and hands-on experience in portfolio management and investment analysis while earning academic credit through enrollment in FIN 301: Student Managed Fund.

"Guiding a real-worth portfolio is a tremendous experience for students and a boost for their future careers," said Emeritus Professor Michael Anderson. "In a simulated class, you can make risky six-figure trades without real consequences, but in FIN 301 every decision counts. Students agonize over investing $2,500 in a given stock or ETF when they know it has real financial impact. That’s when they truly learn what it means to manage risk."

Anderson, who advised the fund from its inception in 2008 until the spring of 2025, passed the course to Assistant Teaching Professor George Tsekov this fall.

A 1.5-credit course that meets once a week on Wednesday afternoons, FIN 301 is intended to be taken twice, with the idea being that students get "promoted" from a junior analyst in their first semester to a senior analyst in their second semester of the course. If students enjoy the experience, they can take the class for audit (without credit) developing decision-making and leadership skills as well as padding their résumés.

"This course exemplifies what experiential learning is all about," said Charlton College of Business Dean Madan Annavarjula. "Our students are not just learning theory—they're applying it in a real, high-stakes environment where their decisions make a measurable impact. Their consistent success is a testament to their preparation and professionalism."

Undergraduate students of any major or class year can enroll in FIN 301 for the spring 2025 semester with permission of the instructor. Interested students should contact their academic advisor or Professor Tsekov directly.