University of Oregon Investment Group

The University of Oregon Investment Group (UOIG) is a student run organization at the with approximately 30 members. It was formed in 1998 by several students.
<big>History</big>
In 1998, three students, Adam Barycza, George Kosovich and Steve Zogas, joined together with Associate Professor of Finance John Chalmers and formed the University of Oregon Investment Group. The group’s mission at formation was the same as it is today, to provide practical, hands on investment experience, and to achieve superior results with real money.
The UOIG’s first opportunity to begin investing came through D. A. Davidson & Co. who accepted the group to manage a portfolio of $50,000 in 1999. Managing the D.A. Davidson (DADCO) portfolio gave the UOIG the foundation necessary to continue to grow.
In 2000, the UOIG presented a plan to the UO Foundation and a select group of investors in an attempt to create a second, much larger, portfolio funded with $450,000. The group’s passion and past performance proved persuasive as Lundquist College of Business alumni Roger Engemann, Grant Inman, Greg Houser and Ralph Rittenour provided the group with the initial support and funding it needed to create the Tall Firs portfolio. Beyond these four individuals, the UO Foundation agreed to allow the group to manage $250,000 of Foundation assets.
The group’s expansion did not stop there. In 2003, members were able to move the UOIG office into the Cameron Finance Suite inside the Lillis Business Complex. In 2008 the UOIG collaborated with the Securities Analysis Center to secure a copy of FactSet (state of the art practitioners software and data) on each of the group’s computer terminals. FactSet is an essential tool for analyzing companies, portfolios, markets, and economies.
In 2005, Howard Svigals, a long-time supporter of the group and UO alumnus, proposed investing $100,000 of his personal capital in accordance with UOIG analyst suggestions, becoming the group’s third portfolio under management.
By late 2006 arrangements were finalized and Mr. Svigals began investing in equities evaluated favorably by the UOIG. As all holdings are fully owned by Mr. Svigals, the group must also take in to consideration the tax consequences of each transaction, which adds another aspect to the educational experience of the UOIG.
The UOIG has come a long way in the past 12 years. With 28 current members and three portfolios, the group may seem almost unrecognizable to the three founding members, however, the group has stayed true to the principles they originally created. The group continues to believe that the key to the success of the group lies in its members and the quality of the mentorships that senior members provide. UOIG members are successful individuals with strong intellectual curiosity, and the willingness to put in the work necessary to succeed in good times or bad. The group has learned how to invest in its people at the same high level it invests in its financial assets.
<big>Processes and Strategy</big>
The UOIG is composed of top students from across the University of Oregon
looking to enhance their education through real world investment experience. Students
join the group with an enthusiasm for investments and finance aiming to build upon their
interest and knowledge in these areas.
New applicants come into the group as Junior Analysts and are asked to prepare an
update on one of the group’s current holdings. Junior Analysts complete these updates
with the help of their mentors and two day long trainings sessions, nevertheless the
learning curve is still incredibly steep and reports can require upwards of 40 hours to
complete. After Junior Analysts present their reports their performance is evaluated and
if a satisfactory job is done they are promoted to a full analyst.
Assigned to one of five sectors, Consumer Goods, Technology, Financials,
IME (Industry,Materials, and Energy), or Healthcare, analysts are responsible for choosing a company
and conducting all necessary research in order to make a buy or hold (don’t buy) decision.
Analysts are encouraged along the way to seek advice from their sector leader and other
members in the group. It is the group’s collective intellectual capital that makes us as
successful as we are. Reports are submitted a week before presentation during which time
they must endure a series of quality checks to ensure that there are no formulaic errors
in them.
The 45 minute report presentation that analysts give every term is probably the most
intimidating and rewarding part of their term. The analyst provides a brief presentation
discussing the implications and origin of various financial projections, after which they
field questions from the group.
<big>Management</big>
* Director of Operations: Is responsible for guiding the group through day-to-day operations in the direction planned, maintaining the group’s budget, and making sure that all members of the group are creating a collaborative,structured learning environment.
* Director of Human Resources: Focuses attention internally; leading and promoting the bi-annual recruitment effort and managing weekly membership issues.
* Director of External Affairs: Manages external relations; generating speakers to come speak to the group, organizing educational trips for members, organizing the annual meeting, and acting as a general external liaison for the group.
* Portfolio Managers (Tall Firs Portfolio Manager, DADCO Portfolio Manager, and Svigals Portfolio Manager) provide support to the analysts and sector leaders as well as execute the groups buy and sell recommendations.
<big>Notable Sources</big>
*TheStreet.com wrote a detailed article on UOIG in 2007 discussing equity performance. The article highlights the Group's strategy.
*The Oregon Daily Emerald detailed UOIG in a 2006 article discussing the benefits of student participation in the management of an equity portfolio.
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