Two exceptional students from the SAIF MBA 2024 Class have achieved remarkable success in the Fall 2024-2025 ETF Global® Portfolio Challenge. Jiahui Wang secured 2nd place globally—setting a new record for mainland Chinese university students in this competition—while Jiawei Wang placed 15th among participants worldwide.
The ETF Global® Portfolio Challenge, hosted on Stockgoats.com, is a prestigious 10-week simulated investment competition open to university students globally. Participants build portfolios using 4-10 U.S.-listed exchange-traded products, with position sizes limited to 25% of account value. While leveraged and short-selling strategies are permitted, financing transactions are prohibited. Weekly performance rankings culminate in final results based on closing account values after the 10-week period. Since its inception, the competition has attracted students from over 500 universities across 45 countries, including Harvard, the University of Chicago, NYU, and HKUST.
Professor Nan Li introduced the Challenge to SAIF's curriculum in 2015, incorporating it into courses such as Portfolio Management, Financial Econometrics, and Time Series Analysis. According to Professor Li, the competition provides students with valuable hands-on experience relevant to wealth management careers. This practical application enables students to apply course concepts and analytical tools while navigating the complexities of real-world investing.
Students have embraced this experiential learning model, demonstrating strong analytical skills and creativity in their reports. Participants gain deeper understanding of financial market volatility and the inherent risks of active trading, while appreciating how scientific methods can help identify trends and optimize asset allocation.
Previous SAIF victors for Fall 2023 included: Zhi Ying Huang (PTD Class of 2023) securing 7th place; Wei Zheng (PTE Class of 2023) earning 15th place; and Rong Zhan (FT Class of 2023) achieving 21st place.
