In 2006, 20 Siena students were given $100,000 and told to invest it wisely. They have...
Ron and Cathy Bjorklund donated $100,000 to the College's finance department to seed a student managed fund - the David E. Bjorklund fund, named in honor of Ron's brother. Officers and analysts in the Student Managed Fund course, taught in the Raub Trading Room, manage every dollar within the portfolio. Over 14 years, students weathered a Great Recession and then a global pandemic. So, is there any money left in the fund? Actually, they've more than quadrupled the investment.
This month, the Bjorklund Fund reached an all-time high of $410,000. The small-cap growth, long/short portfolio currently beats all conventional small-cap benchmarks by more than 200 basis points. If you don't speak finance - it's simple... the Bjorklund Fund is outperforming all expectations.
The student analysts are solely responsible for researching and picking stocks within their assigned economic sector. Next, they pitch their stocks to the class, and then there's a vote. Four class officers design the fund's strategic guidance and manage the 16 analysts. The keys to the fund have been passed between officers for 14 years, while the bottom line has multiplied more than four-fold.
"It is fantastic that the Bjorklund Fund is doing so well, and I am proud to be a part of it. We had a great class and Professor Feng Dong really does an amazing job leading it. I truly have learned so much from him. This class is beneficial because it provides real-world experience. The work we do is the same as people who work in the industry. Stock market games and simulators are great, but everything changes when it involves handling real money.
I enjoyed this class because every project I worked on was something I can use on a job interview and is an investment in my future. I would like to thank Mr. Bjorklund for being able to create this opportunity for us. As someone who aspires to work in capital markets upon graduation, an experience like this is priceless."
Ryan Lupo '21
"The Bjorklund Fund has provided me with one of the best educational experiences at Siena, giving students first-hand experience in researching, analyzing, and valuing long and short positions involving equities of small and mid-cap stocks.
I am incredibly proud of the teamwork in this class, and we are now seeing the fruits of our labor in hitting this all-time high. This would not have been possible without the leadership of Professor Feng Dong, who is not only a great professor but also a great mentor."
Charlie Brady '21
