UWF students win first place out of 44 institutions in global hedge fund competition

University of West Florida Lewis Bear Jr. College of Business students won the 2025 Southeastern Hedge Fund Strategy Competition, hosted by the J. Mack Robinson College of Business at Georgia State University. Alexander Francis and Lorenzo Weber, undergraduate finance majors, earned the top spot among students from eight countries and 44 other universities, including the University of Florida, the University of Hong Kong, Georgia State University and the University of Idaho.

“UWF finance students made history in this global competition; no other school has ever won first place in two consecutive years,” said Dr. K.C. Ma, Mary Ball Washington and Switzer Brothers endowed professor of finance in UWF’s Lewis Bear Jr. College of Business, who was the students’ advisor.

Francis and Weber designed the first ever “Central Supply Chain Momentum Strategy.” It works by identifying the supply chain with the largest “centrality,” or a measure of how pivotal a particular firm is to the rest of the supply chain. Using this method, this strategy takes advantage of the stock momentum often found in the most central supply chain. This approach allowed them to attain an annual 29% return with minimal risk. All submissions were reviewed and scored by a panel of investment professionals. Only the top five teams are allowed to present their strategies in front of real hedge fund manager judges. Weber and Francis will share a $10,000 first-place scholarship award.

“This competition was both a great challenge and a wonderful opportunity,” Francis said. “It felt directed and legitimate, especially given the intensity of competition from the other schools and strategies they presented. I enjoyed getting to see the variety of other strategies and the philosophies behind each strategy’s presenting team. If I were given the opportunity to work under Dr. K.C. Ma and to participate in something like this again, I would pursue it wholeheartedly, and I recommend others do the same.”

Weber said it validated the skills they’ve developed through UWF’s finance program.

“It challenged us to not only build a strong strategy but to communicate it clearly under pressure,” Weber said. “I’m grateful for Dr. Ma’s mentorship, and I am proud to have represented UWF on this stage.”

For more information about UWF Lewis Bear Jr. College of Business, visit uwf.edu/lbjcob.