The Senbet Fund - Robert H. Smith School of Business - University of Maryland, College Park

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Overview

"The Lemma Senbet Fund is an innovative and rare opportunity for undergraduate students to make real investment decisions and manage real money. The fund gives our top students the chance to apply what they’ve learned in their finance classes to actual investment decisions. This program, and several others in our Undergraduate Fellows Program, gives Smith students a competitive edge in the job market and prepares them to be business leaders with analytical skills and hands-on experience."

Howard Frank, Dean of the Robert H. Smith School of Business

Applicant Requirements/Criteria

Applications for the 2008-2009 Senbet Fund team are now open. Please click here to review applicant requirements and criteria.

Brief History

In 2006, the Lemma Senbet Fund was founded to provide undergraduate students at the Robert H. Smith School of Business a hands-on learning experience in portfolio management and equity analysis. Modeled after the MBA student-led Mayer Fund, the Senbet Fund is comprised of a select group of senior finance majors who manage real money to provide healthy returns for the fund, while simultaneously learning invaluable lessons about the world of finance. Each year the Senbet Fund pays a dividend to the Dean's office. The dividend is used to support a variety of school programs.

Goal

The Senbet Fund's goal is to achieve capital appreciation by capturing the superior returns that equity investments have historically provided. The Fund's long-term performance goal is to outpace the appreciation of the S&P 500 on a risk-adjusted basis. Although the primary goal of the fund is to achieve capital appreciation, it is just as important that each member learn the processes by which investment decisions are made in a professional asset management setting.

Management

The Senbet Fund is managed by a select group of senior finance majors at the Robert H. Smith School of Business who comprise a management team of two portfolio managers and eight equity analysts. The portfolio managers are responsible for handling administrative matters and leading the team to its performance objectives. The Marketing and External Relations Portfolio Manager works to enhance the fund’s visibility and serves as the primary point of contact for all fund communication. Meanwhile, the Performance Portfolio Manager analyzes the fund’s position and provides data on developments in the team’s holdings.