History of SIF

On March 23, 1998, the Student Investment Fund (SIF) made its first transaction by purchasing 250 shares of Cohu and 215 shares of Tidewater.  The value of the fund was $300,000.  Most of the monies were invested in a money market fund.  The original investment policy was to purchase small cap under-valued securities.  However, the combination of a terrible market for small caps, the inability to make quick decisions, and the rapid turnover of students soon convinced the students that they needed to invest in a somewhat more mature market.  The result was a move to mid-cap and large-cap securities.

The combination of good returns (the SIF has outperformed the S&P 500 for the last 1, 3, 5, and 10 years) and new money from generous donors resulted in the SIF crossing the $1,000,000 mark in May of 2005.  Today, the SIF has a market value of more than $2,900,000.  Earnings from the SIF have been used to award approximately $520,000 in scholarships.

The future of the SIF is very bright.  Enrollment is high.  Friends of Finance, the organization that raises money for the SIF, is doing very well and is very committed to helping the SIF grow and improve the quality of the Finance program.