By Ciarán O’Maonaigh.
Crafting your first portfolio can feel like stepping into a conversation in a language you do not yet speak.
For many students, investing remains theoretical, confined to lecture slides rather than real-world decision-making. This semester, three groups of DCU students are preparing to move beyond theory as they take part in the Goodbody Student Managed Fund.
For over 150 years, Goodbody Stockbrokers UC has provided investment banking, asset management, and personal wealth services. Alongside its core business, the firm runs an educational initiative aimed at university students.
The Goodbody Student Managed Fund competition gives participants the opportunity to apply finance, risk management, and business analysis theory in a simulated, hands-on environment managing equity and fixed-income portfolios.
Teams comprise six equity analysts and one fund manager, working collaboratively to develop an investment thesis and construct a portfolio aligned with their strategy.
Experience levels vary significantly, some students enter with prior investment exposure, while others are complete beginners.
As part of the competition, students will screen equities, conduct macroeconomic and industry analysis, and justify their portfolio construction decisions within a structured investment framework.
Equity analyst Rui Alves, one of the participating students, spoke about what motivated him to get involved.
“I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of preparing for it,” Alves said. “I study finance modules as part of my degree, but I never had the opportunity to invest myself.
“The competition is a great way to put your learnings into practice. You always have doubts about starting something new, but building a strategy with my teammates has already boosted my confidence. It shows that even without prior experience, you can contribute if you apply yourself.”
Goodbody encourages students to focus on medium to long-term performance, emphasising a five to ten-year investment horizon when building strategies.
Participants must therefore conduct macroeconomic, industry, and regional analysis to identify markets and sectors with strong long-term growth potential.
The simulation platform, Stocktrak, provides access to more than forty stock exchanges, as well as treasury and corporate bond markets across six countries.
In addition to trading functionality, the platform offers educational resources in personal finance, investing, economics, and business, supporting participants as they refine their understanding of global markets.
Teams will present and defend their investment thesis in a virtual first-round presentation in the week commencing the 6th April, with finalists advancing to an in-person final at Goodbody’s offices on Monday 20th April.
The final will also provide students with the opportunity to engage directly with industry professionals during a networking session.
At a time of global market volatility and shifting macroeconomic conditions, structured simulations such as the Student Managed Fund allow students to test strategic thinking within realistic market environments.
Beyond potential performance outcomes, the competition offers something more enduring: practical exposure, analytical discipline, and early insight into the responsibilities of professional fund managers.
For participating DCU students, it represents a meaningful step from classroom theory toward real-world financial decision-making.
Image Credits: DCU Investment Society