Undergraduate Investment Group at FSU

Calling all FSU undergraduate Finance majors ?? Applications to become an Analyst in the Undergraduate Investment Group for the 2025 - 2026 academic year are now open. Applications close March 20th at 11:59pm, so be sure to fill yours out today! Application Link: https://lnkd.in/egTt-zHP

This past weekend, we had the privilege of hosting Luis Sanchez, CFA of LVS Advisory to lead a workshop on effective stock pitching. Luis broke down the components of a good pitch, laid out some common types of stock pitches, and illustrated the process through some case studies (including one of his own pitches). Thank you to Kelsey Syvrud, PhD and the FSU Finance Department for their coordination efforts.

The Undergraduate Investment Group at FSU's Consumer & Retail team, Emma Feigin, Jadyn Byrne, Zachary Touati, and Andres A. Burfield, pitched Casey’s General Stores (NASDAQ: CASY). The pitch passed with a majority vote. Emma Feigin, the sector leader for Consumer & Retail, says, “We believe Casey’s General Stores is a valuable addition to the portfolio, providing exposure to underserved and rural markets. Its strong leadership in prepared food innovation, commitment to unit growth, and focus on operational efficiency align with the portfolio’s long-term vision. These strengths position Casey’s as a leader in its market with significant growth potential.” The MSF Portfolio Managers commented, “We decided to allocate Casey's General Stores (CASY) based on its strong operational performance, innovative growth strategies, and resilience in the convenience store and prepared food industry. Casey's demonstrates consistent financial growth, including 8%+ EBITDA growth, and strategically focuses on expansion through acquisitions and organic growth. The company leverages its vertically integrated supply chain for cost efficiency. It has a proven ability to innovate with product offerings like its growing pizza and sandwich categories and engages customers effectively with its loyalty programs and mobile app. These strengths position Casey's as a leader in its market segment with significant growth potential.” Great job to the Consumer & Retail team!

The Undergraduate Investment Group at FSU, an #FSUBiz student organization launched this semester, is quickly getting down to business. Student analysts from the group provide stock recommendations to Master of Science in Finance (MSF) students who manage the finance department's Student Investment Fund. And, based on recent pitches from four teams of students in the new organization, the $7.6 million fund has added three stocks to its portfolio! The student teams, each focusing on a different investment sector, made their recommendations last month in Steven Perfect’s Investment Management & Analysis class. Great work, UIG!?? ?? ??

The Undergraduate Investment Group at FSU's Media & Telecom team, Makar Markaryan, Matthew Kempinski, Atherve Niranjan, and Alex Hilmes, pitched Omnicom Group (NYSE: OMC). The pitch did not pass by majority vote. Makar Markaryan, the Sector Head for Media & Telecom, says, “As one of the Big 4 advertisers, Omnicom provides an opportunity to capitalize on increasing corporate efforts to reach consumers through diverse channels. Its data-driven Omni platform and recent Flywheel acquisition enable it to deliver strong value to clients, supporting industry-leading retention rates and new client wins. Despite these strengths, the controversy surrounding Omnicom’s role in the Jaguar rebranding campaign raised concerns about reputational risks and client retention, which ultimately led to the decision not to allocate.” The MSF Portfolio Managers commented, “While Omnicom presents an attractive valuation and growth outlook, we decided not to allocate due to the controversy surrounding the Jaguar rebranding campaign. The backlash over being perceived as tone-deaf and culturally insensitive raised concerns about Omnicom’s judgment and risk management. This could affect its ability to retain or attract key clients, which made us wary of potential downside risks.” Great job to the Media & Telecom team!

The Undergraduate Investment Group at FSU's Energy team, Ramsey Ben Flah, Will Munro, Emma Sawtell, and Lilly Tapp, pitched Enterprise Products Partners (NYSE: EPD). The pitch passed with a majority vote. Ramsey Ben Flah, the Energy Sector Head, says, “The addition of EPD allows the fund to capitalize on growing natural gas demand powered by AI data centers. With a best-in-class pipeline network, strategic positioning in natural gas, and a consistently high dividend yield, EPD represents a stable investment in an industry poised for continued growth.” The MSF Portfolio Managers commented, “We decided to allocate to Enterprise Products Partners due to its consistent performance and resilience in the energy sector. Its fee-based revenue model and strategic acquisitions in the Permian Basin strengthen its market position. EPD’s conservative financial strategy, with low leverage and a strong credit rating, makes it a stable and reliable long-term investment.” Great job to the Energy team!

The Undergraduate Investment Group at FSU's Diversified Industrials team, Sanad Shalaldeh, Mateo Nucci, Christian M. Blanco, and Kyan Kruse, pitched Honeywell (NASDAQ: HON) to the MSF Student Investment Fund Portfolio Managers. The pitch passed with a majority vote. Sanad Shalaldeh, the Sector Head for Diversified Industrials, says, “Honeywell represents a high-quality addition to the portfolio, delivering exposure to diversified industrials while capitalizing on sub-secular tailwinds. Its disciplined simplification strategy, leadership in the industrial internet of things, and focus on mega-trends like sustainability and automation make Honeywell a strong fit for the portfolio.” The MSF Portfolio Managers commented, “We decided to allocate to Honeywell due to its diversified operations across aerospace, industrial automation, and energy sustainability. The company’s strong Return on Invested Capital, strategic initiatives targeting high-growth segments, and operational improvements under new management reinforce its long-term value proposition. Honeywell’s focus on innovation and disciplined capital allocation aligns with our goal of maximizing risk-adjusted returns.” Great job to the Diversified Industrials team!

That's a wrap on our first semester. Congratulations to all the teams that presented to the Student Investment Fund!

This week, members of our Telecommunications & Media and Diversified Industrials sectors travelled to Atlanta to pitch their stocks in front of asset management professionals at Invesco and Artisan Partners. It was a pleasure collaborating with the Financial Management Association at FSU and the FSU Finance Department for such an amazing trip. A big thank you to Niki Armstrong, Elizabeth Dowdell, CFA and their respective teams at Artisan Partners U.S. Value Team and Invesco US for giving our members a true stock pitch environment and engaging Q&A. This was a trip for the books!

Very excited to have launched this program. Thank you to the judges, the FSU Finance Department, and all our members for making it possible.