The University of Dayton’s student-run investment fund is now the largest in the country at nearly $60 million of assets under management.

The Davis Center for Portfolio Management’s Flyer Investments Fund allows undergraduates to manage a portion of the University’s endowment as well as a pool of assets for the Dayton Foundation. Students make all investment decisions to buy, hold and sell stocks, and have historically outperformed the S&P 500 and professional money managers.

“It puts us on the map in an extremely competitive industry,” said senior manager Bridget Momper, a finance major. “Future employers are always looking for prior experience in their candidates but being able to say that you are a part of the largest student-run fund in the country holds a whole other level of gravity to it. Our members work hard at all hours of the day to ensure that we are taking calculated risk and generating high returns.”

The Davis Center, made possible by the vision and gifts of UD alumnus Dick Davis and his wife, Sue, offers student-managers an environment similar to a Wall Street investment firm with industry-leading technology of Bloomberg, FactSet, Morningstar and S&P NetAdvantage investment software. 

“The success our students have had only happens with many hours of hard work studying the market and using state-of-the-art equipment,” Dick Davis said. “These students have been able to outshine professionals. You can see the passion they have and the electricity that’s there.”

Alumni of the fund, who now number more than 600, have gone on to work at top investment firms, including BlackRock, Citi, Citadel, Cleveland Research, Credit Suisse, Goldman Sachs, Jefferies, JP Morgan, Morgan Stanley, PIMCO, PNC Financial and William Blair.

“I am extremely proud of the contribution of our past and present members of the Davis Center. Since 2010, these UD student-managers have collectively generated in excess of $40 million of capital gains on behalf of the University and the Dayton Foundation,” said Director Daniel Kapusta.

The Flyer Investments Fund is one of the flagship experiential learning programs in the School of Business Administration, alongside opportunities for undergraduates to start their own businesses, consult with nonprofits and other companies, act as an angel investor and practice in a professional selling laboratory.

“The value of combining what students can learn in the classroom with practical experience cannot be overstated,” said School of Business Administration interim Dean Trevor Collier. “The Flyer Investments Fund allows students to gain a comprehensive knowledge of the financial industry through their wins and even losses, and graduate as well-rounded professionals.”

More information on the Davis Center is available on the University’s website.