FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 9, 2012
Contact: Anika Mitchell Perkins
(662) 329-7124
aperkins@pa.muw.edu

MUW investment club wins latest TVA Investment Challenge

COLUMBUS, Miss. – For the past few years Mississippi University for Women students have participated in managing stock portfolios for the Tennessee Valley Authority as part of its TVA Investment Challenge.

Their hard work recently paid off after winning the most recent competition, earning a 14.94 percent return on their portfolio. The second place team earned only 6.8 percent, according to Dr. Andrew Luccasen, assistant professor of finance and economics at MUW.

“MUW's TVA Investment Club had the highest return for the calendar year of 2011 of the 24 schools competing in the TVA Investment Challenge, beating schools such as Mississippi State, University of Memphis, University of Kentucky, Ole Miss and Vanderbilt University. The portfolio they manage is now worth over $500,000,” he said.

Based on the MUW Investment Club's performance last year, the group has won $12,500, bringing its total earnings to more than $40,000 over the years, according to Luccasen. The club finished in eighth place in 2010.

TVA’s Investment Challenge is a partnership between TVA and universities in its service territory that provides a real-world learning experience in portfolio management. The Challenge gives teams of students’ hands-on experience in managing TVA stock portfolios.

Students actively manage TVA funds by designing long-term investment strategies, placing trades and providing performance reports to TVA—all under the guidance of a faculty member.

To support the program, TVA utilizes the expertise of some of its most experienced financial managers and analysts to provide guidance and resources to help students apply financial management concepts to real-world situations.

TVA representatives visit the classrooms to discuss the students’ logic and strategies behind their portfolio management decisions and offer constructive feedback on strategies.

Club president Savannah Tubbs said, “This year’s win is our own sort of proof that there is still hope in the economy. Being patient with the financial market, and sticking by our choices in stocks, is paying off in the end.”

Luccasen added, “They have done a great job, and I am very proud of them.”

MUW’s TVA Investment Club has 25 stocks in its portfolio. These stocks include Apple, Nike and Starbucks.

The club meets twice a month to evaluate its portfolio of stocks and decide whether to buy or sell those stocks. It is open to all MUW students. For more information, email aluccasen@bu.muw.edu.