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A share portfolio managed by UWA Finance students and Viburnum Funds has outperformed the Australian market.

The Viburnum-SMIF High Conviction Portfolio was launched earlier this year.

Since the fund’s inception, the stocks in which it has invested have delivered a 12% return; this return was achieved at the same time as the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) recorded a 10% decrease in value.

The Student Managed Investment Fund (SMIF), which runs the fund, was formed in 2014. SMIF member LiKai Tan said managing a real fund has been a highlight of the student group’s activities.

“The original premise [of the group] was that anyone can be involved in SMIF, from history students, to dentists and engineers; our organisation is for people that share a common interest. Going into 2016, we want to maintain that attitude, and ensure that we are best serving those students that want to learn more about investments,” LiKai said.

“[An] innovative attitude can be felt to be growing around the Business School, and SMIF is proud to be a part of it. Veda Group [part of the Viburnum-SMIF High Conviction Portfolio] was a strong example of a fantastic investment idea by the students. Not long after taking a position in Veda, it was acquired by Equifax. This is indicated that the students were not the only ones interested in the stock!”

The Student Managed Investment Fund (SMIF) was established in mid-2014, winning the UWA Student Guild's Best New Club award for the year. In a short space of time, SMIF has become the official Bloomberg representative on the UWA campus, held trading seminars and a trade-a-thon during London and New York market hours, and facilitated six virtual portfolios run by student teams.

Media references

Karen Della Torre (UWA Business School)    (+61 8) 6488 8538
Verity Chia (UWA Business School)             (+61 8) 6488 1346