Stetson University Students Launch 2 New Indices

    DELAND, FL, October 27, 2016 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Stetson University's Roland George Investments Program (RGIP) today launched two new indices designed to invest in cloud computing and virtual reality technology.

Stetson students in the program spent months researching, vetting and analyzing stocks with the investment thesis, "The Reality of this Presidential Election is Virtually Driving Itself to the Clouds." Four indices were developed comprising 14 publicly traded companies in the sectors of elections, cloud computing, virtual reality and self-driving vehicles. Each student presented an index with its corresponding stocks during the RGIP annual public trustee meeting.

"These technology indices are the inevitable future," said K.C. Ma, Ph.D., C.F.A., director of Stetson's George Investments Institute and the Roland and Sarah George Chair of Applied Investments for RGIP. "They were selected in these specific sectors based on their exponential growth potential. These indices allow us to directly invest in these sectors today which is particularly challenging when you realize that no single company builds an entire product in these emerging technology sectors."

Following the presentations, trustees voted to approve the purchase, allowing RGIP Growth Fund to invest $200,000 in the Clouds4 and the VR4 indices. Two of the indices in the self-driving and post-election sectors were not approved, in part because they did not demonstrate enough diversification for the overall RGIP portfolio.

"The students identified the companies with largest exposure in these game changers for the future. Ultimately, this process enables us to invest singularly in these technologies," explained Ma.

The new indices join the Drones9 Index successfully launched earlier this year by RGIP students. The stocks in that index have outperformed the market by 40 percent for the past five years, further solidifying the RGIP performance record.

"This is real-world investing," said Ma. "RGIP students are able to jump start their money management experience in their senior year at Stetson," giving them experience equal to five years of hands-on work experience, and outpacing the competition in the job market, according to Ma.

The Stetson University School of Business Administration RGIP is known for having one of the nation's oldest and best market performances, and is directed entirely by Stetson University students. The pioneering program empowers top students majoring in finance and business to manage a real portfolio comprising $3.5 million in stocks and bonds. They use fundamental research tools and leading data services such as Bloomberg, Reuters, Morningstar, and Baseline to find and defend investment recommendations to students and trustees of the investments committee.

Since 2001, based on the actual portfolio performances, RGIP students have won 16 championships and six second-place wins in the national R.I.S.E. (Redefining Investment Strategy Education) and G.A.M.E. (Global Asset Management Education) competitions.

Personal investors who want information on these indices can contact Ma directly at [email protected] or 386-822-7496.

Disclaimer: The Roland George Investments Program, or students affiliated with the program, are not Registered Investment Advisors. As a result, any information contained in this press release or presented at an RGIP event should not be construed as investment advice.   

About Stetson University
Founded in 1883, Stetson University is the oldest private university in Florida, providing a transforming education in the liberal arts tradition. Stetson stresses academic excellence and community-engaged learning, and consistently earns high marks in national rankings. Stetson encourages its students to go beyond success to significance in their lives, the lives of others and their communities. Stay connected with Stetson on social media.

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