This summer, Verger's Investment Team had the privilege of volunteering their expertise at Wake Forest University's Student Summer Finance and Investing Institute. This immersive program offers high school students from across the country a week-long opportunity in Winston-Salem to delve into the fundamentals of finance and investing, covering topics such as stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and exchange-traded funds (ETFs).
Sessions on Managing an Equity Portfolio
Jim Dunn, Verger's CEO, and Scott Clancy, Investment Director, both led sessions titled "Managing an Equity Portfolio" during the program. Jim conducted the session in the first week, followed by Scott in the second week. They shared examples from their own experiences, providing students with a clear understanding of the complexities involved in managing portfolios. They emphasized that the type of institution or individual being served is crucial to shaping the strategy, assessing risks, and defining objectives for portfolio management.
Stock Selection Competition Judged by Verger's Team
The week concluded with the "stock selection competition," where students, divided into teams, presented their portfolio results after a week of management. Taylor Jackson, Investment Director, and Madison Moses, Senior Investment Analyst at Verger, participated in judging the competition. Taylor judged the first week's competition, while Madison participated in the second week's competition. They were joined by industry experts Scott Wray and Stephen Edwards from RWBaird, Patrick O'Rourke from Five Points Capital, and Luana Hill from Truist.
The students' presentations were evaluated based on the following criteria:
- Justification for the portfolio construction and investment decisions (buy and sell)
- Analysis of the portfolio returns for the week
- Future plans for portfolio management
- Overall presentation skills
Each team presented for 5-7 minutes, followed by a Q&A session with the judges. The judges then deliberated to determine the top three teams, offering the students feedback for their thorough analysis and well-executed presentations.
Program Leadership and Participation
The program was spearheaded by Mike Crespi, the Academic Leader, who led an experience that allowed students from across the country to gain hands-on experience, learn from industry leaders, and take a deep dive into the world of finance and investing.
Verger's Investment Team's involvement with WFU's Summer Immersion program reflects our commitment to invest in young talent and help shape the next generation of leaders. Jim, Scott, Taylor, and Madison's contributions left a lasting impact on the students, as reflected in the thoughtful thank you notes they sent to our team.
