The academic year is always an exciting time of year for finance students as the much anticipated Annual Bissett Stock Market Competition is well underway! The 14th edition of the annual competition has thirteen teams of three competing for the right to have their names added to the revered trophy which resides in the Bissett office. Teams have until the end of March to test themselves in both Canadian and US stock markets. With a variety of strategies in play, including buy-and-hold, frequent trading, and the inclusion of options and margin in the mix, it is shaping up to be an exciting time for participants. This is another great example of how Bissett School of Business offers students impactful learning opportunities through experiential opportunities. Thanks for your leadership Jim!

In terms of his research endeavors, Jim Fischer was in Minneapolis during reading week to present his paper “Modern Portfolio Theory and the Efficient Markets Hypothesis: How Well Did They Serve Canada’s Baby-boom Generation? to the Annual Meeting of the Academy of Financial Services. The meeting is held annually in conjunction with the Annual Conference of the Financial Planning Association, attracting a large number of academics as well as industry practitioners.

Abstract: Modern Portfolio Theory (MPT) and the Efficient Markets Hypothesis (EMH) have influenced portfolio management strategies for an entire generation. Taking the example of an average Canadian family from 1977 to 2016, this paper examines how well MPT and EMH served the baby-boom generation of investors. A model investing strategy was constructed based on the principles of MPT and EMH. The strategy was evaluated for its ability to adequately provide for the subject couple in retirement. Results of this portfolio were compared to other popular investment alternatives. Using generally-accepted rules-of-thumb in financial planning, the MPT strategy was found to have provided an adequate retirement income for the subject couple. Some of the other strategies moderately exceeded the returns of the MPT strategy, while others under performed this benchmark. Analysis of these discrepancies reinforced the significance of diversification and of re-balancing portfolios through dynamic asset allocation.