On October 8^th, Tim Kato of DA Davidson & Co. presents Dr. Terri Herron, Chair of Accounting & Finance, with a check representing a split of the profits from the Fall 2006 “$50,000 Portfolio” class, whose portfolio performed 6^th best in the DA Davidson program and best in the state last year.  “It is a tribute to the entire business school program to see the success the students had in putting together the portfolio,” noted Mr. Kato, who teaches the class.  “They come into this class very well prepared, and use the skills and knowledge they have acquired the previous three years to come together as a team and build a successful portfolio of publicly traded businesses. I truly enjoy being able to present a check to the school.”

DA Davidson & Co. sponsors the Student Investment Program by providing $50,000 of real funds for the students to invest.  Students spend the semester researching and presenting on potential investments, and in the end, decide as a group which investments to include in the portfolio.  Dr. Herron notes, “This is experiential learning in its most real form.  This is real money they are investing.  The students do not take that lightly.  They feel the pressure to do their research before making an investment decision.  And we are fortunate to have Tim Kato guiding them through that hands-on process.” 

The program provides for a share of any profits realized at the end of the year to be donated back to the participating school.  If a portfolio has a negative return, DA Davidson rebalances the portfolio and makes the $50,000 whole for the next group of students to invest.  Twenty schools from Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, Utah, Colorado, and Wyoming currently participate in the program.