Steve Zimmer
Staff Writer
Equity Fund: $264,405
Energy Fund: $265,070
Finance 101: The Importance of Comps
On Friday, September 5th, SIMM held its annual SIMM Bootcamp. SIMM Bootcamp is an all-day event where friends and alumni of SBU call in or present to students on a variety of topics in finance. The resounding theme heard throughout the day was the importance of having competitors that are comparable to the company you are looking to buy stock in. For example, you may think that Louis Vuitton may not compete with Apple, but their business strategies of targeting people with discretionary income to spend their “extra” money on high-end retail items are very similar. So when investing, before getting too caught up in the financial ratios, understand the business you want to invest in and who its peers are in terms of marketing strategy, pricing strategy, etc. By getting a thorough understanding of the business before diving into the financials, you have a better understanding about the story behind the numbers presented in the financial statements.
SIMM is a club that meets every Monday and Wednesday from 4pm-5:15pm in the Financial Services Lab (Swan 101). Any major and all experience levels are welcome. Researching companies and presenting recommendations help you develop personal investing skills, providing education that can’t be found in any other class. If you are interested, feel free to contact Steve Zimmer at zimmersm11@bonaventure.edu
