NJ
Nicholas Jacobs
  • Class of 2018
  • Strongsville, OH

University of Dayton student Nicholas Jacobs helps manage $30 million of endowment

2018 Mar 16

Nicholas Jacobs is among a select group of students at the University of Dayton who manage a $30 million slice of the institution's endowment, using it to buy, sell and trade stocks.

The student money managers - working in a high-tech, interactive center that simulates Wall Street's trading floor - recorded investment returns last year that catapulted them to the top peer group of professional money managers in the U.S. They outperformed the S&P 500 benchmark last year by returning 24.26 percent, well above the national average.

Each semester, more than 40 undergraduates manage a diversified portfolio in the Davis Center for Portfolio Management, where they use the same analytical software and database subscription services employed by financial institutions around the world. It's an unparalleled real-world learning opportunity with a pay-off for the University of Dayton in more ways than one: $5.5 million in investment returns last year alone, and one of the richest and deepest experiential learning opportunities around. When they graduate, these students are highly sought after in the world of finance.