Redhawk Fund
The Redhawk Fund, established in 2009 with $250,000, allows Albers students to manage real funds, fostering career-ready skills through practical experience.
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Hands-On Experience
In October 2009, Seattle University established the Redhawk Fund with an initial investment of $250,000 from the university’s endowment. This initiative was aimed at granting students a hands-on experience in managing a real-world investment portfolio. Since its inception the fund has flourished, now boasting a value exceeding $1,120,000.
The Redhawk Fund serves as a dynamic platform for Albers students, offering them invaluable exposure to equity research, portfolio management, and the art of delivering professional presentations. This comprehensive program is designed to equip students with the essential skills and knowledge for academic excellence and career success.
The Redhawk Fund's main purpose is to grow the university endowment and to provide a learning opportunity to its members. We are focused on the art of business valuation and socially responsible investing while maximizing portfolio's return and managing risk through proper diversification.
The Redhawk Fund’s operations are overseen by our faculty advisor, Cathy Cao, as well as by members of the Department of Finance Advisory Board. We also have the guidance of our Student Advisory Board which is comprised of experienced Albers students. We regularly communicate our activities and progress with our faculty advisor. The faculty advisor along with the Board ensure that the management team adheres to the mission and policies of the Redhawk charter. The faculty advisor also routinely evaluates the portfolio management team’s performance.
Student Portfolio Managers are responsible for maintaining a balanced and well-diversified portfolio. They provide guidance and direction to research analysts and make decisions related to asset allocation and Fund operations. Portfolio Managers also facilitate communication with the faculty advisor and Board, and ensure the timely execution of new trades. We have between 3 and 5 managers in any given term.
We have a team of 5 to 20 research analysts in any given term. The analysts report to specific portfolio managers and are responsible for proposing potential investment positions to the team. Analysts provide information on such variables as market conditions, economic and political climate, etc. Once an analyst performs a valuation and presents their recommendation to the team, they must receive a majority vote from the team to proceed with the trade.
The Redhawk Fund’s goal is capital appreciation using the S&P 500 Fossil Fuel Free Reserves Index as the benchmark. The objective for the fund is to generate a rate of return greater than the benchmark. The portfolio will undergo a critical review as necessary by the Fund advisory board if there are extended periods of underperformance.
The Redhawk Fund is a well-diversified portfolio, largely comprised of equities from large-cap US companies. It is the duty of the investment management team to minimize the amount of risk that is being employed in the portfolio through proper diversification.