On Tuesday, December 11, nine students studying Finance presented to fellow students and community members on market trends and their investment projections. Splitting the presentations into different segments, they addressed what is happening on the world level, and more specifically in Europe, North America, Indonesia, China, and Australian markets, as well as what is currently happening in the banking and financial, communication, entertainment, and technology sectors.
The students have been preparing their material for months, and starting next semester, they will hold monthly presentations for interested parties. For the audience, the purpose of the presentations is to help those who would like help identifying investible ideas. Even those who already invest can benefit from the presentations as they present portfolio-building ideas.
Donnie Winters, a junior from California, presented on North America. He said, “In my preparation for the presentation I had to be mindful of the audience. I was not going to provide information that did not hold value. The presentations make you think and in the process, you learn so much more because you are connecting different finance principles as you apply what you have learned.”
Finance students recently traveled to New York on a Career Connect trip, and when many companies asked them whether they had had opportunities to manage money, they were able to confidently say yes. The BYU–Hawaii Investment Club has a fund provided by donors, which allows students to invest on the same ideas they present. Any returns made on investments are added to a fund for student scholarships.
Colton Rodgers, a senior from Washington commented, “The investment fund and presentations provides resume builders that students can talk about in interviews. By having that experience companies see our students as having necessary skillsets.”
In order to present, they must choose a specific market or sector, research it and analyze investment opportunities in the near future. Kyle Cashen, a junior from Arizona expanded, “We are provided an opportunity as students to further our skills outside of the classroom and prepare for employment.”
The next presentation will be on January 24, at 5:30 PM in the Little Theater.