Students from the University of Kentucky’s Gatton College of Business and Economics earned third place in the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) Investment Challenge, recognizing their portfolio performance among 27 peer institutions across the region.
For the 2025 calendar year, Gatton students in FIN 485 and FIN 490 generated a total return of 25.43%, outperforming the S&P 500’s 17.88% return and placing third among the participating schools.
The award was accepted at the annual TVA Investment Challenge conference by students Ty Wectawski, Abigail Sutherland and Ashton Mazey (pictured above), who represented Gatton as one of only three teams invited to present.
While those students attended the conference, the performance is a result of the collective work of all students enrolled in FIN 485 and FIN 490 across the Spring 2025, Summer 2025 (taken abroad in Italy) and Fall 2025 terms.
The TVA Investment Challenge is a long-running, regional program that gives students the opportunity to manage real investment portfolios and compete against peer institutions based on performance relative to the S&P 500.
Established in 1998, the program now includes 27 universities, with students collectively managing millions of dollars in assets while applying long-term investment strategies, executing trades and presenting results to TVA professionals.
At Gatton, students manage more than $6.5 million in real assets on behalf of the University of Kentucky Endowment and the TVA, gaining hands-on experience in equity analysis, portfolio construction and performance evaluation.
The program is led by faculty advisor Quint Tatro, who has overseen FIN 485 and FIN 490 for the past decade and was himself a participant in the program as a Gatton student.
For students, the experience extends beyond performance metrics.
“I am honored to have had the opportunity to represent Gatton alongside my teammates,” said Ashton Mazey. “Managing a real portfolio and presenting our work at the conference reinforced what we’ve learned in the classroom.”
The TVA Investment Challenge is designed to bridge theory and practice, giving students direct experience managing investments while developing the analytical, communication and decision-making skills required in professional finance roles.
