The Bulldog Investment Fund of the Brock School of Business broke a school record this semester by surpassing $5 million for the first time in its history.
Crossing the $5 million dollar benchmark is not just a big deal for Samford but classifies them as a top program nationally.
“Based on data as of December 31, 2024, $5 million would place Samford’s student fund within the top 25 largest student funds in the U.S.,” Professor Rusty Yerkes said.
Phoebe Huntington, the student president of the organization, also acknowledges the importance of this benchmark.
“We were ecstatic when we crossed that mark… When we started [the record] was $4.7 million,” Huntington said.
National recognition is not new for the Bulldog Investment Fund as they have consistently been named one of the largest student-managed investment funds in the southeast.
“It started out a $500,000 gift from the student endowment fund… and now it’s grown from $500,000 to $5 million,” said Huntington.
Each semester, a new group of students in the business school applies to be part of the Bulldog Investment Fund. Members earn class credit and a unique opportunity for real world experience as they trade and manage stocks with money from the student endowment. The application process is open to any student within the business school, not just finance majors.
“Each student will pick a sector and manage the stocks within it,” said Huntington. “Through capital gains and returns we try to beat the S&P [Standard and Poor’s], which is our benchmark.”
Despite having a faculty advisor present to help guide the students and show them how to do things, the decision-making process is left completely to the students.
“It is pretty student-driven. We are picking stocks and we’re managing sector weights. Whatever we think is best,” Huntington said.
Yerkes trusts the students’ freedom of choice as he trusts the students to pick up companies that line up with Samford’s motto: For God, For Learning, Forever.
“The integration of faith and learning is an important component of The Bulldog Fund program. Students learn about faith-based investing principles which seeks to align the Christian mission and values of Samford University with the investments made in the fund,” he said.
The Bulldog Investment Fund meets on the second floor of Cooney Hall in a state-of-the-art room designed to simulate the offices on Wall Street. There are 12 Bloomberg Terminals to provide students with real-time market data. There are also screens around and in the room that show students Nasdaq data 24 hours a day.
As the semester comes to an end, so does the current Bulldog Investment Fund student’s time in it. But they can cross off credit hours, real world experience, team building and communication skills and now a record-breaking number off their semester’s to do list.
Sports Editor
