Salve takes first place in national financial analysis competition

Salve students took home the top prize at the Student Managed Investment Fund Consortium (SMIFC), a highly competitive national financial analysis competition held in Chicago Oct. 1-2.

Of the 93 colleges and universities that competed, teams from Salve placed first and fourth. The field included Princeton University, Rice University, the University of Chicago, the University of Michigan and other top schools.

The competition was a comprehensive financial analysis exercise focused on Micron Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: MU). Participants were expected to evaluate the company's financial performance and strategic position using financial ratios, valuation models and other quantitative and qualitative metrics. Each analysis needed to integrate macroeconomic, industry and company-specific perspectives to demonstrate a thorough understanding of Micron's financial health, competitive position and long term outlook.  

John Palo '27, Alex Puhl '27 and Selby Warren '27 were on the winning team, which received a $1,000 prize. The team of Parker Mabbett '27, Gabe Victoria '27 and Teddie Hember '28 placed fourth in the competition. Teams from Salve have finished in the top 10% since the University first began competing in 2019. The annual trip is supported by a generous gift from the Andrea and Theodore Giletti Fund for Experiential Learning.

To enter the competition, six Salve students working in two teams prepared and submitted a comprehensive investment plan, demonstrating their ability to analyze economic, industrial, political, global and financial conditions. The students also had to apply valuation techniques and risk management principles into the comprehensive plan.

Sam Sacco, senior lecturer, leads the University's participation in the SMIFC. He is also the faculty advisor to Salve's student Investment Club. Sacco said, "I am so proud of our students' accomplishments and demonstrations of critical thinking, research skills and teamwork on a national stage. They began working before the fall semester started, and the results speak for themselves."

The teams shared their thoughts on the experience.

Teddie Hember, finance major

Hometown: Stockholm, Sweden

"I was confident in our preparation and performance, much thanks to the assistance and advice from the other members of the investment club and our faculty members," said Hember. "We had a goal of a top 10% finish — so we were very excited with a first and fourth-place finish for the financial analysis plus a sixth place finish for the portfolio poster." 

Hember is a member of the Seahawks men’s ice hockey team and recently completed a summer internship at Bank Newport.

Parker Mabbett, finance major

Hometown: Milford, New Hampshire

Mabbett credits faculty for their mentorship and the wider Salve community. "Our team is beyond lucky to have the faculty support and expertise to guide us through competitions like this," he said. "Sam Sacco gives us every resource we need to be successful and other faculty like our department head, Dr. Brian Leite, help give the team the knowledge and confidence to do well against other schools. Our entire group at Salve for the investment club all contributed to the success and our team chemistry was off the charts. We are beyond lucky to be able to do this event each year thanks to alumni support, faculty, administrators, and everyone at the university." 

Mabbett is a captain of the Seahawks men’s ice hockey team. He works part-time at UBS, where he was a private wealth management intern last year.

John Palo, accounting major

Hometown: Durham, Connecticut

"Sam Sacco and the other professors genuinely invest their time in helping us prepare, challenge our thinking, and become more confident in our abilities,” said Palo. "Having that level of support, while also getting the opportunity to apply what we learn in the classroom to a real-world setting, really sets Salve students up to succeed." 

Palo recently completed a summer internship at Standish Management, LLC.

Alex Puhl, finance major

Hometown: Cheshire, Connecticut

Puhl noted that participating in SMIFC helped prepare him for his next step. "This experience requires working effectively as a team, being able to research and synthesize complex information, communicate it clearly and put it all together in a short timeline. These are transferable skills in almost any profession, but especially for students interested in finance careers," he said.

Puhl is currently an internal audit, direct assist intern at CVS Health.

Gabe Victoria, finance major

Hometown: Scotland, Connecticut

Victoria said that one thing he took away from the experience of competing at SMIFC was "how powerful and successful a school like Salve can be with the right culture, mentorship, and student passion." He said, "Despite being in a field of almost 100 other universities, many of which are a lot larger than Salve, we have shown that our skills and capabilities are on a level with some of the most competitive universities nationwide." 

Victoria is on the Seahawks men’s cross country team, and recently landed an internship in the prestigious Siemens Financial Leadership Development Program.

Selby Warren, finance major

Hometown: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

"At Salve we are the underdogs in most fights,” said Warren, who plays on the Seahawks men’s ice hockey team. "We may not have the size that other schools have in terms of the student population. But what we lack in size we make up for in relentlessness and work ethic. Being so close with our professors and knowing our classmates so well allows for a team dynamic like no other. Our collaboration and care for success go beyond the classroom and into our own lives. This is the difference at Salve."

Warren is currently a financial planning intern at Mariner Wealth Advisors.