Jonathan McDaid, Joseph Begley and Chris McNicholl were star performers in an investment game challenge undertaken by students pursuing an MSc in Applied Finance at Ulster University Business School.
A record 103 guests attended
the CISI Northern Ireland branch annual dinner, which was held in the historic setting of the birthplace in Belfast of the Titanic.
Marie McHugh, Dean, Ulster Business School, was among the attendees.
Guest speaker was mentalist David Meade, who amazed attendees by reading the minds of a number of them.
The event was sponsored by BlackRock and M&G Investments.Students were tasked with developing a trading strategy with a virtual £100,000. Over a seven-week period, students conducted trades in ‘real-time’ at actual market prices using market trading simulation software.
Investment returnBy the end of the challenge, the students had collectively made an investment return of £73,561 with the best individual performers turning in 10.5% return.
The winners, who received their awards at the annual dinner of the CISI’s Northern Ireland branch, said they had benefited greatly from the experience.
Jonathan McDaid, who won first place for the award, said that he had found the trading “challenging, rewarding and insightful”.
Joseph Begley and Chris McNicholl, who were second and third placed respectively, agreed that the trading project was “an innovative and exciting introduction to the practical world of equity trading and an exercise which could only be useful as they progress on their MSc and in their careers after study.”
"The practical application of investment theory was evident”Northern Ireland branch President Wayne Nickels, Chartered FCSI said: “The enthusiasm the students had throughout the project is a testament to their interest in the investment arena – especially those who have non-financial undergraduate qualifications. Despite the project having a relatively short trading period, the practical application of investment theory was evident.”
It was the third year the Northern Ireland branch has presented the award, which it runs with Ulster University Business School.
Photos from the evening