A basic understanding of asset classes and risk-return concepts is helpful, but the simulation includes onboarding to all key fund management principles.
Mutual Funds Simulation
Students take on the role of mutual fund managers—constructing portfolios, managing investor flows, and aligning strategy with client expectations - in our Mutual Funds Simulation.
Mutual Funds Simulation Overview
The Mutual Funds Simulation immerses students in the world of professional fund management, where they must design, launch, and manage an open-ended investment fund in response to changing markets and investor demands.
Created by asset management professionals and academic finance experts, the simulation challenges students to define investment objectives, select assets, manage cash flow from subscriptions and redemptions, and maintain performance relative to a benchmark.
Students learn to balance active management with operational realities, while defending strategy choices to internal stakeholders and external investors.
Mutual Funds Simulation Concepts
The simulation covers essential investment and fund management topics, including:
- Fund Structures: Open-ended vs closed-ended, active vs passive
- Portfolio Construction: Asset allocation, diversification, and investment mandates
- Performance Metrics: Alpha, beta, Sharpe ratio, and tracking error
- Investor Behavior: Subscription/redemption flows, sentiment, and fee sensitivity
- Cash Management: Liquidity buffers, trade settlement, and market timing
- Regulatory Considerations: Disclosure, fund mandates, and compliance constraints
- Market Communication: Monthly factsheets, strategy notes, and investor calls
Gameflow
What Students Do
In this simulation, students act as mutual fund managers at a fictional asset management firm. Over several rounds, they:
- Define a fund strategy and target investor profile
- Construct and rebalance a portfolio aligned with the stated objective
- Respond to market shifts and evolving investor flows
- Analyze fund performance relative to the benchmark and peers
- Adjust cash holdings to meet liquidity needs during redemptions
- Prepare a final investor report summarizing performance and decision rationale
What Students Learn
Students experience the practical realities of running a mutual fund, gaining insight into both technical and behavioural dimensions. They learn to:
- Build portfolios that balance return potential with investor expectations
- Manage inflows and outflows while protecting core fund strategy
- Monitor and interpret key performance and risk metrics
- Communicate investment decisions clearly and convincingly
- Understand how client needs, market volatility, and operations intersect
- Reflect on fund performance in terms of both outcomes and process
Why This Mutual Funds Simulation Works
Mutual fund management blends investment expertise with client-centric thinking - this simulation delivers both.
Rather than just picking stocks, students must design a sustainable investment product. They must handle investor flows, manage cash buffers, and justify underperformance when markets don’t cooperate.
It offers a full-cycle view of fund management - from setup to results - providing students with insight into how investment ideas become real products. The simulation fits seamlessly into courses on portfolio management, wealth management, or asset allocation.