The Student Managed Investment Fund (SMIF) at the University of Stirling was created in September 2017 to provide students with the opportunity to enhance their knowledge of investments and portfolio management. Membership of the SMIF is open to any student, undergraduate or postgraduate, in any field of study.

The SMIF exposes students to a professional investment environment. In addition to gaining technical knowledge about the valuation of stocks, members also have the opportunity to develop important soft skills in areas such as creativity, teamwork and communication. In its very short existence, the SMIF has helped its members to develop the skill-set required for a career in the financial sector.

SMIF Student Committee 2017/18

From Left to Right: Natasha Gracey, Chief Executive Officer (from Dec 2017), Gregorio Rossi, Chief Research Officer, David Frost, Chief Risk and Compliance Officer, Chaithra Vijaya Kumar, Chief Marketing Officer, Alex Holmes, Chief Executive Officer (Sept-Dec 2017), Katie Johnston, Chief Operating Officer, Grayson Pfeifer, Chief Financial Officer. Photography by Whyler Photos of Stirling www.whylerphotos.com

SMIF Student Committee 2018/19

From Left to Right: Andreas Haberl, Chief Marketing Officer, Luke Milburn, Chief Financial Officer, David Frost, Chief Executive Officer, Juan Ignacio Palanzuela, Chief Operating Officer, George Scurr, Chief Risk and Compliance Officer, and Andrew Pickup, Chief Investment Officer. Photography by Allison Butler.

A vibrant student society

The SMIF is organised as a Students’ Union society, with advice and support provided by academic staff from the Accounting and Finance Division of Stirling Management School. The SMIF is governed by a Constitution which identifies the following aims:

  • To use skills developed through involvement in the society in order to pitch investment ideas and create a portfolio in line with the fund’s investment policy.
  • To provide insight into the roles of equity analysts and fund managers and provide the experience of using professional financial databases for equity research.
  • To improve the employability of members by providing the experience in investment research.

Since its foundation, over sixty students have joined the SMIF every year. Members are free to organise themselves into Sector Teams to research the investment potential of the stocks of publicly listed companies in particular industry sectors, or to work independently. The aim is to identify stocks with long-term growth opportunities while taking Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) criteria into consideration, and to construct a diversified portfolio. In its start-up phase, the SMIF has operated as a virtual fund.

There are regular weekly meetings of the SMIF, enabling members to interact with their student peers. Members also receive support in the form of workshops provided by academic staff and guest lectures from industry speakers. In addition, the University of Stirling has invested in a permanent resource room for the SMIF, which is located in room 3A57 of the Cottrell Building. This room provides access to a Bloomberg Terminal and the Thomson Reuters DataStream and S&P Capital IQ databases. It also functions as a boardroom and has facilities for making presentations.

This website complements the SMIF’s social media presence and aims to provide information on the activities of the SMIF. You will find information on the team, our investments, the advisory panel and guest speakers, as well as additional resources. 

Enjoy surfing our site!

David Frost, SMIF Chief Executive Officer, 2018/19

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