THE STUDENT
INVESTMENT GROUP
NEWSLETTER
FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS
Organizational Newsletter
January 2016
SIG Board Members (left to right): Michael Powell, Alexus Reed, Dylan Barnard, Elijah Lam, Mason Hendrickson, Rigers
Memko, Josue Leija, Isaac Serrata, Alex Ledesma
In This Issue
Welcome!

A Word from the
President

About SIG

Portfolio Breakdown

Portfolio Manager
Q&A
Thank You For Joining Us!

Faculty Spotlight
— The SIG Student Engagement & Development Committee

For Our Members
The Student Investment Group
We are very excited to present the UNT Student Investment Group’s
first newsletter. Our goal is to keep you informed about what SIG is
up to for the coming semester and SIG’s portfolio. Whether you are
an alumni of SIG, a partnering business or organization, or a current
SIG member, our hope is that we can continue to strengthen our
organization by providing this avenue of communication.
Spring 2016
WELCOME
A WORD FROM THE PRESIDENT
My name is Rigers Memko and I serve as the President of the Student Investment
Group (SIG). First and foremost, I would like to say that I am truly thankful and
honored to work alongside such an intellectual group of officers whom are
dedicated to building on the success of our organization and are consistently
striving to leave a lasting mark on the Student Investment Group. With great
pleasure, we present our inaugural SIG Newsletter and would like to welcome you
to the start of a great spring semester. The start of a new semester is an exciting
time for new and returning members alike. It is also a great time for reconnecting,
forming new friendships, and exploring new opportunities for success.
The SIG offers many opportunities to engage and connect with current professionals through our alumni network and our partnerships in multiple industries.
Through these networks, our members are able to interact and obtain insight that will grant them the employment opportunity that they desire.
This spring semester, we are excited to begin managing a second and separate portfolio on behalf of the UNT
Foundation worth $100,000. As a added benefit to our organization, we will be paid a one percent (1%) annual
management fee. The strategic partnership with the UNT Foundation will provide our members with a professional world customer-client relationship and the opportunity to interact and glean wisdom from the great
professionals at the UNT Foundation. Also, this semester we will add our third and separate portfolio worth
$50,000 that comes from the TD A meritrade Thinkorswim! Challenge that our members have won in the last two
years ($30,000 in Fall 2014 and $20,000 in Fall 2015).
This past fall semester, we successfully established the Student Engagement and Development (S.E.D.) committee. This team will set out to build cohesiveness among our members by actively engaging and developing them
both individually and as a group to maximize their potential. The Student Engagement and Development team
will provide the stability necessary to guide and grow our organization and its future generations to provide a
smooth transition from one school year to another. Furthermore, the Student Engagement and Development team
will actively seek to bridge the gap between our members and alumni by revamping our alumni network.
I am excited to announce that this semester we will actively seek to add a Portfolio Risk Officer to ensure the
efficient and balanced risk management of our three separate portfolios in a manner that maximizes quality,
profitability, and growth of each portfolio. The Portfolio Risk Officer will assist the Portfolio Management Committee in providing segment oversight, value-added insight, and recommendations to our Portfolio Managers.
The Portfolio Risk Officer shall oversee the Risk Management Administration and ensure that sound and efficient risk management techniques are implemented and maintained in key aspects of each portfolio.
The structural additions will build a more solid foundation for the Student Investment Group and provide the
stability to guide and grow our organization for many future generations. The opportunities offered at the SIG,
while managing real money and making impactful decisions, will give our members an edge when beginning
their professional careers.
Lastly, I would like to formally announce that our weekly meetings will be held on Mondays from 5-6pm in
room BLB 055. On behalf of the Student Investment Group, I wish you a great semester!
Sincerely,
Rigers Memko | M.S. in A ccounting Candidate & President of the UNT Student Investment Group
The Student Investment Group
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ABOUT SIG
Awards & Honors

Our Vision & Purpose
Eagle Awards:
The Student Investment Group, informally called SIG, exists to offer students and SIG members
Winner of the 2014the opportunity to experience investing, receive education on investment related topics, and to
2015 Organization of the empower them academically and professionally to achieve their desired financial goals.
year
Our Goals and Background

TD Ameritrade
Thinkorswim
Challenge: 1st & 4th
place (2014), 2nd & 4th
(2015)

1st place at 2014 Texas
Investment Portfolio
Symposium
The Student Investment Group was founded in 2002 with the help of a generous gift from Colonel Guy M. Cloud that endowed the Student-Managed Investment Fund (SMIF) and a Student
Scholarship Program at the University of North Texas. The gift consisted of a Universal Life
Contract and a Life Annuity Contract. By the end of 2007, the Universal Life Contract was
liquidated to provide a source of funding for equity purchases based upon SIG’s portfolio management procedures.
In 2007, SIG began the fund with $285,000 and has grown to its current value of $592,000. The
ultimate goal of this portfolio is to grow its value to more than $1,000,000, at which point the
fund can be used to provide scholarships for UNT students.
2014 TD Amertrade Thinkorswim Champions pictured (left to right): Elijah Lam, Josue Leija,
Mason Hendrickson
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Spring 2016
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PORTFOLIO
SYNOPSIS & TOP 10 HOLDINGS
Below is a list of our top ten holdings and their performance in the past year. On the
next page, you will find a pie chart illustrating the diversification in our portfolio
by different sectors.
Top 10 Holdings
Company Name
Ticker
% Holdings
Price Bought
EoY Price
Total Return
Apple
AAPL
11.41%
$46.40
$105.26
126.85%
Johnson & Johnson
JNJ
7.34%
$58.84
$102.72
74.58%
Phillip Morris
PM
6.28%
$47.92
$87.91
83.45%
Coca-Cola
KO
6.14%
$24.01
$42.96
78.93%
AZZ Inc.
AZZ
3.97%
$20.64
$55.57
169.23%
Exxon Mobile
XOM
3.71%
$58.66
$77.95
32.88%
3M
MMM
3.59%
$87.50
$150.64
72.16%
AT&T
T
3.28%
$28.04
$34.41
22.72%
General Electric
GE
2.97%
$26.18
$28.62
9.32%
Microsoft
MSFT
2.64%
$26.05
$50.71
94.66%
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Spring 2016
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PORTFOLIO
BREAKDOWN BY INDUSTRY/SECTOR
The Student Investment Group
Spring 2016
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Q&A WITH SIG
PORTFOLIO MANAGERS
Dylan Barnard
Major: Finance
IS: How long have you been involved with SIG?
DB: I have been involved since Spring 2014, so about
three semesters now.
Chang Menon
Major: Business
Analytics
IS: How long have you been involved with SIG?
CM: 1 year.
IS: What are you excited for SIG to accomplish in the
upcoming year?
DB: I am most excited about the new money from the
foundations endowment fund and the $30,000 won from
the Thinkorswim! Challenge where we took first place
last fall.
IS: What are you excited for SIG to accomplish in the
upcoming year?
CM: The networking opportunities that may arise
from the Black Tie Event and growing SIG’s Individual
portfolio from $30,000 to $50,00 during the first semester and continue growing it to $80,000 in the second semester.
IS: What is your favorite Stock?
IS: What is your favorite stock?
DB: Although it’s become cliche in recent years, I have
CM: Tesla. They are the only company that
to say Apple. They are the strongest company in the mar- promises something evolutionary and revolutionary. A
ket right now and the most undervalued shares in the
man once had a dream to own all the gas stations in the
S&P (500).
world and he’s on his way to doing it.
IS: What is your Investment Philosophy?
DB: My investment philosophy coincides a “Ben Graham” philosophy by focusing largely on value, but also
buying growth in disproportionate increments
IS: What is your Investment Philosophy?
CM: I believe that I should always stick to what I
know… Always invest in things you know and understand.
IS: $FB, $AAPL, $GOOGL — You have to Buy one, Hold IS: $FB, $AAPL, $GOOGL — You have to Buy one, Hold
one, and Sell one. Go!
one, and Sell one. Go!
DB: Buy Apple, Hold Facebook, and Sell Google
CM: Buy Google, Hold Facebook, Sell Apple
Q&A Conducted by Isaac Serrata
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Spring 2016
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FACULTY SPOTLIGHT
DR. RUSTY MACDONALD—INTERVIEWED BY ISAAC SERRATA
Dr. MacDonald introducing SIG 2012
Recently, I spoke with Dr. MacDonald about how he has helped SIG become the great
student organization that it is today.
IS: How long have you been here at UNT?
RM: "I obtained my Bachelors of Science in Economics in 1977 here at UNT and I've been
a faculty member since 1989. Been here 26 years now."
IS: How did you get involved with SIG?
RM: "Dr. Michael Braswell, the chairman of the FIREL Dept. at the time, asked me to be
the founding faculty advisor back in 2002. I've been involved with SIG since the beginning."
IS: You’re THE go-to guy for investments here. How did you get started?
RM: "I first started trading stocks, with the help of my parents, when I was 14. I bought
into a company called American Hospital Supply that did quite well and have been trading
stocks from then on. I started trading options OTC (over-the-counter) before the development
of the CBOE (Chicago Boards Option Exchange) and I have over 40 years experience trading on
the stock market. In other words, I started trading securities before you were born."
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FACULTY SPOTLIGHT
DR. RUSTY MACDONALD (CONT.)
IS: What do you think makes SIG so successful?
RM: "Well, first of all, all student organizations are
based on voluntary labor. What truly amazes me about
SIG is the vast number of people who have voluntarily
“I started trading securities
given their time to a worthy cause and organization.
before you were born.”
Hundreds of people have contributed and tens of thou- Dr. MacDonald
sands of man-hours have been put into SIG over the last
15 years. Also, the number of people who constantly
come forward to get involved – it's the dedicated effort
of those people which has made SIG the successful organization that it is."
IS: You’ve witnessed and helped foster the success of SIG for many years. What do you
think is in store for SIG in the future?
RM: "Once SIG reaches 1 million dollars, the additional yearly return from the fund can be
used for scholarships. At that point, SIG will then have to determine a process by which scholarships are granted. Reaching additional donors so that SIG can gather more capital is something
that would greatly benefit the organization as well."
IS: Any advice for new members that would help guide their entry into the vast world of
finance and investing?
RM: "Get involved. Take the investments 4200 class and get involved in the general and
analyst meetings. Getting to know the Bloomberg terminal would prove valuable to anyone
who's new to investments. Determine your personal goals and objectives and get involved."
IS: Dr. MacDonald, we appreciate the time you've taken to share valuable knowledge with
SIG.
RM: "Anytime.”
Dr. MacDonald can be reached by e-mail at Don.Macdonald@unt.edu
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FOR OUR MEMBERS
RECOMMENDED SOURCES
Books:
For a Solid Foundation: Fundamental Analysis for Dummies by Matt Krantz
The Classic: The Intelligent Investor by Benjamin Graham
Advanced Investing: Security Analysis by Benjamin Graham
Recommendation from Jane Gilday, CFA: Secrets for Profiting in Bull and Bear
Markets by Stan Weinstein
Podcasts:
Stay up-to-date on
our latest news
Website:
unt.orgsync.com/org/sig
Twitter: @UNTSIG
Facebook:
APM: Marketplace: News in the market. Each Podcast is roughly 25-27
minutes. Produced daily.
Website: http://www.marketplace.org/
NPR: Planet Money: Different stories regarding the economy as a whole.
Each podcast is anywhere from 15-25 minutes. Produced 1-2x weekly.
Website: http://www.npr.org/sections/money/
www.facebook.com/UNTSIG
Questions, comments, or
suggestions?
Email: sig@unt.edu
We appreciate
your support!
This first edition of the SIG Newsletter has been brought to you
by the SIG Student Engagement & Development (S.E.D.) Committee.
Isaac Serrata, Josue Leija, and Alex Ledesma make up the SIG
S.E.D. Committee. As the S.E.D. Committee, we are committed to
our members and seek to maintain and build our network with
Alumni, partnering organizations, and Sponsors.
General content was provided by John Kelsey (former member
of S.E.D. Committee), portfolio data provided by Josue Leija and
Dylan Barnard, and the Interview of Dr. MacDonald, the Portfolio Manager Q&A, editing, and formatting were
conducted by Isaac Serrata.
S.E.D. Committee (from left to right): Josue Leija,
Isaac Serrata, Alex Ledesma
A special thanks to those who contributed to this 1st edition of SIG newsletter: Rigers Memko (current President of
SIG), Portfolio Managers Chang Menon and Dylan Bernard, Dr. MacDonald, Alexus Reed (Marketing Chair of SIG),
John Kelsey, and Jane Gliday, CFA.
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