Walton College Students Place Third

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Two students from the Sam M. Walton College of Business, University of Arkansas, placed third in the second annual Investment Analysis Competition at the Leonard N. Stern School of Business at New York University.

Seniors Will Slabaugh and John David Tamas are members of the Walton College portfolio management class. The competition was held as part of the fourth annual Stern Summit on Global Business, a gathering of top students from more than 100 business schools around the country.

“Congratulations to Will and John David for their excellent performance,” said Craig Rennie, assistant professor of finance, Clete and Tammy Brewer Professorship in Business, and faculty advisor for the portfolio management class. “They were among strong competition in the six teams. The University of Texas at Austin was first, and the University of South Carolina placed second.”

The competition involved a valuation model, research, presentation, and “buy” or “sell” recommendation of an emerging market security. It was sponsored by Stern’s investment club, Investment Analysis Group. In the Walton College portfolio management class, where students manage a real stock fund of approximately $1.37 million, Slabaugh serves as the fund technology analyst while Tamas serves as fund manager and health care analyst. They received $100 each as part of their award.

Sarah Topham and Becky Miller were also among the Walton College Honors Program students who were invited to attend the summit. They were led by John Norwood, associate professor of business law and director of the Honors Program.

“This was a great honor for the University of Arkansas and the Walton College, especially since they were competing against such top schools,” said Norwood. “These fourth-year Walton Scholars are among the highest academic achievers in the college. This program offered them new expertise and a broader understanding of the business world.”

Two Walton College seniors won the investment competition at the 2005 Stern Summit on Global Business.

The theme for the fourth annual Stern Summit on Global Business was “The Disappearing Third World: A Paradox of Growth.” The summit examined the increasing divergence between developing nations that have flourished economically in recent years and those that have failed to reap the benefits of globalization. Keynote speakers included: William Easterly, NYU distinguished professor of economics and author of The Elusive Quest for Growth and The White Man’s Burden, and Paul Solman, business and economics correspondent for “The News Hour with Jim Lehrer.” Panel discussions covered ethics in global business, entrepreneurship and finance in developing nations, and the political economy of development.

Ernst & Young sponsored the summit.