Smith School Students Ring Bell
to Open NYMEX
College Park, Md. - February 1, 2008 - A group of Robert H.
Smith School of Business undergraduate and MBA students had the honor of ringing
the bell to open trading on the New
York Mercantile Exchange this morning. The students manage the Smith Schools
two investment funds the Mayer Fund and the
Lemma Senbet Fund and are in New York for an
educational trip to meet with financial professionals.
The successful MBA-managed Mayer Fund, a $1.2 million portfolio, was
established in 1993 with the goal of outpacing the S&P 500 stock index. Each
year, the fund pays dividends to the Deans Office to benefit Smith School
programs. Second-year full-time MBA students comprise the funds management team,
two as portfolio managers and eight as equity analysts.
The $100,000 Lemma Senbet Fund, modeled on the Mayer Fund, is managed by 12
undergraduate finance majors. Named for an esteemed Smith finance professor for
his contributions to the school, the Senbet Fund launched in 2006 as part of the
schools Undergraduate Fellows Program. Like the Mayer Fund, Senbet Fund managers
goal is to outperform the S&P 500. The undergraduate fund will also pay a
dividend to the Deans Office each year.
The New York Mercantile Exchange, operated by NYMEX Holdings Inc., is the
worlds largest physical commodity futures exchange and the preeminent trading
forum for energy and precious metals. NYMEX Chairman Richard Schaeffer is an
alumnus of the Smith School.
About the Robert H. Smith School of
Business
The Robert H. Smith School of Business is an internationally recognized
leader in management education and research for the digital economy. One of 14
colleges and schools at the University of Maryland, College Park, the Smith
School offers undergraduate, full-time and part-time MBA, executive MBA, MS,
PhD, and executive education programs, as well as outreach services to the
corporate community. The school offers its degree, custom and certification
programs in learning locations in three continents including North America,
Europe and Asia.
