Investment Committee Meetings

Students seeking careers as investment analysts must demonstrate proficiency in analytical and presentation skills.  In the investment industry, analysts make regular presentations of their ideas to an Investment Committee.  To prepare students to excel as investment analysts, the Garrison Financial Institute holds weekly Investment Committee meetings.  During these meetings students present their recommendations to our own Investment Committee.  Students begin with their domestic and international economic outlook, and then identify sectors that will flourish or underperform.  For each sector, students analyze stocks and make presentations generating buy, sell, or hold recommendations for our student–managed funds.

Trading Clinics

The Garrison Financial Institute provides trading clinics for our students to bring industry best practices into the classroom. During these clinics, Sergio Santamaria and Ventsi Stamenov, teach students cutting-edge trading techniques.  Students learn how to analyze an “Initial Public Offering” (IPO) using market data from the recent IPO of VISA Inc.  To profit when the market heads south, students were introduced to the bear market strategy of short selling.  (Short selling involves selling a stock without owning it, and then buying it at a lower price at a later date, to cover the short position.)  Sergio and Ventsi are also Chartered Market Technicians and these experts taught students the art of the chart known as technical analysis. Students were also introduced to option strategies, such as the use of covered calls, straddles and strangles.