Investment Strategy

Process and Performance

The Spires Trading team has been managing money for the university since 2021, starting with $1.2 mm of university funds. The Finance Committee of the University of Saint Mary Board of Trustees reviews performance and risk metrics quarterly. The reports are prepared and presented by the students, after engagement with the investment mentors.  ​

The team deploys a proprietary short term equity option trading strategy targeting a return of fifteen (15) percentage points above the risk free rate (as measured against one year T-Bill returns), with strategy risk commensurate to achieve that objective. 

The strategy attempts to diversify portfolio risk using rules that help mitigate time risk, industry concentration risk and event risk. The three year history of the Spires Trading Team fund shows above market returns, with high risk adjusted returns and a low correlation with long only equity funds.