Posted: February 8th, 2015

Portfolio Assigment

Paper, Order, or Assignment Requirements

Portfolio Creation Assignment FIN 418 – Fall 2014

Objective: This assignment is designed to familiarize you with the principles inherent in the formation of a portfolio.

Requirements:

• Assume that you have $150,000 to invest. Create a portfolio with the following allocations:
  • 25% to individual stocks
  • 25% to domestic equity mutual fund(s)
  • 35% to international mutual fund(s) (investments that exclude the United States)
  • 10% to bond mutual fund(s)
  • 5% to a mutual fund or an ETF which invests in physical gold (your selection should not 
be a fund of gold producers)
• For the individual stocks component of your portfolio, your choices must satisfy the following:
  • at least a total of five stocks
  • at least three of the stocks must be from the Value Line Small and Mid-Cap guide
  • a Value Line sheet must be provided for all of the stocks selected
• For the mutual fund and ETF components, the following requirements must be followed:
  • a relatively consistent investment style must be followed by any given selection
  • no sales load (front-end or back-end; back-end loads which expire are acceptable)
  • no 12b-1 fees
  • a four or five star Morningstar rating (unless it is an index fund)
  • open to new investment, with a minimum initial investment which fits your proposed 
allocation to the fund(s) and which is consistent with the allocations listed above
  • available to an individual investor in a retail investment account (call to confirm)
  • A standard Morningstar sheet must be provided for all of the mutual funds selected
• – Perform a one-half page single-spaced analysis of the financial condition and investment potential for each company in your selection of individual stocks, assuming a purchase price equal to the closing price as of November 17, 2014. Utilizing methods of analysis covered during the course is recommended.
• Perform a one-half page or less single-spaced analysis for each mutual fund or ETF which you select. Detail why you found that investment to be superior to other options, and discuss any other relevant points which caused you to select that particular mutual fund.
• Provide a table showing the money to be invested in each specific component of your portfolio. Include the portfolio weights for each specific investment as well.
• Include a one page single-spaced executive summary which details the logic behind your selections and specific portfolio allocations. Be sure to consider the role that each individual investment selection plays in the context of your entire portfolio. – Submit copies of the Value Line and Morningstar sheets for your selections.