Finance club hits $500,000

Despite challenges of COVID-19 in the 2020-2021 academic year, the Investment Club at Messiah adapted and continued its biweekly meetings via Zoom. Virtual meetings allowed for alumni speakers, such as Matt Meads ’15 from Hershey Trust and Jesse Weidemann ’11 from Wells Fargo Investment Banking to join as guest speakers.

For the club’s portfolio, a select group of students—working as portfolio analysts—met weekly in the Ralph S. Larsen Finance Lab to perform in-depth research using Bloomberg terminals. The performance of the portfolio proved exceptional, generating a one-year return of 56 percent. As a result, the club’s portfolio value exceeded $500,000.

The appreciation in the portfolio allowed the club to donate to charities, such as Helping Hands Ministries, Caitlin’s Smiles, Bethesda Mission and Accounting Beyond Borders. 

—Staff report