Financial Management Students Get Real-World Stock Market Experience

The stock market and trading industry can be complex and confusing even for seasoned professionals. But thanks to two competitions this semester, UT Tyler financial management students will get real-time, real-world experience that will give them an edge in their careers.

The UT Tyler Financial Management Association (FMA) student chapter launched its Semi-Annual Stock Market Investment Challenge this semester that helps students build a fundamental understanding of investing through real-world applications.

Students were given a hypothetical $1,000,000 at the first day of trading day of 2020 to invest in listed stocks and learn about the stock markets, as they work together to maximize the return of their portfolios.

Concurrently, the students will participate in the FMA Forecast Competition against students from around the world. This competition requires our students to submit their forecasts of the value of several financial variables, including the price of crude oil, Dow Jones Industrial Average, the price of gold and the Standard and Poor 500 Index.

Involvement in the two competitions has been a long-term goal of Dr. Hwan Shin, associate professor of finance and the faculty advisor to the UT Tyler FMA student chapter.

“The lab gives students hands-on, real-time experience using the tools they will need to know when they enter the highly-competitive field of investment and security analysis and financial advisement,” said Shin.

The student members will make extensive use of the software and databases that are available to them in the newly opened Trading Room and Financial Analytics Laboratory in the Soules College of Business. The participants are also recommended to sit for Eikon certification where Eikon enables the students to access an incredible depth and breadth of financial analysis data to make smarter decisions.