Stander Symposium: School of Business Administration

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  3rd Party Carrier Optimization

  Brendan L. Ficht, Meigan G. Karolak, Conner M. Macioce, Maximus J. Tucker

  MIS and OPS Senior Capstone Projects include small teams of 3 or 4 senior students working weekly with a company/organization to solve a real business problem. These projects extend for the complete undergrad senior year including both Fall and Spring semesters. Students act as Project Consultants and Managers to guide the project from inception until conclusion by delivering solutions and deliverables to the client. Students produce project documentation and formal presentations at multiple stages of the project and conclude with presentations to the supporting Client's Leadership Team.

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  A Long Term Analysis of Industrial Sector Stock Returns in Rising Fed Funds Rate Periods, 1999-2023

  Christopher Fredrick Casey, David Francis McColl

  Financial analysts consider industrial sector stocks to be cyclical in nature with strong sensitivity to changes in interest rates. In this study I look at four periods within the overall 1999-2023 period where the Fed Funds rate was rising to see if the strong sensitivity assumption holds up. I use the top 20 stocks measured by market cap in the industrial sector to examine the relationship between rising Fed Funds rate and sector stock returns.

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  A long-term study of the impact of rising federal funds rates on communication sector stock returns: An empirical analysis, 1999-2023

  Thomas Charles Letke, Jordan Christopher Nelson

  In the overall period 1999-2023, there have been four distinct sub-periods of rising federal fund rates. In this study we test the hypothesis that Communcation sector stocks are interest rate sensitive (I.e. Their prices and returns decline when federal funds rates are rising. However, because the four periods differ in terms of length of time, rate of increase in Fed Fund rates and macroeconomic conditions like economic growth and inflation, I expect the degree of interest rate sensitivity for communication sector stocks, period wise, to vary considerably. In this regard, a particular interest is the 2008-2016 period where the federal funds rate was quite low and rising slowly. We use the returns for the top 20 stocks by market cap in the communication sector to measure the sensitivity to rising fed fund rates.

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  An Analysis of Returns to a Portfolio of Health Care Stocks with Firm Revenue and Gross Operating Profits as the principal weighting factors: An Empirical Analysis 2009-2023

  Nicholas John Mulvihill

  In this study, I want to determine the long-term effect on returns to a portfolio of Health Care stocks when firm revenue and operating profits growth are the principal weighting factors. I use the top 20 stocks by market cap in the Health Care Sector as my portfolio. Rather than following the standard approach of using an equal weight strategy for the base model and then adjusting the weights based on yearly revenue and operating profits growth, I use the 10-year compound annual growth rate in revenue and operating profits for the top 20 stocks as my base model weighting factors. Yearly growth rates in revenue and operating profits are used to adjust the stock weights year over year. I backtest the model for the period 2009-2023 and then use the out-of-sample period 2020-2023 to determine if both momentum and persistence in performance for the Health Care Sector portfolio occur in this highly volatile market period. My benchmark for performance is the S&P 500 ETF SPY. Returns above this broad market benchmark indicate that revenue and operating profits are priced in risk factors.

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  An Analysis of Risk-Return Parameters for 9 S&P 500 Sectors, 2000-2019

  Michael A. Dahill

  In this study I look at the relationship between sector returns and sector return risk over two long run time periods: 2000-2019 and 2009-2019. The sub period 2009-2019 is particularly important because it is considered a bull market period after the 2008 economic and market recession. Given the efficient market hypothesis, I test to see if higher long term sector returns are associated with higher sector risk parameters. I use average annual returns and compound annual growth grates (CAGR) to measure sector returns and the variance and standard deviation of the returns to measure risks. I also test to determine if the long run sector risk measures show persistence by using the highly volatile out of sample period, 2020-2023, to determine if the sector returns fall within (1) Plus or minus one standard deviation and (2) Plus or minus two standard deviations of the long term sector return means

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  An Analysis of Stock Returns in the Consumer Staples Sector during Periods of Rising Fed Funds Rates: An Empirical Analysis 1999-2023

  Kevin Brian Cullen, Dominik Vittorio Daly

  The steady demand for consumer staples products in periods of economic stress suggests that stocks in the consumer staples sector will do well, relatively speaking, in periods where interest rates are rising. I test that assumption for four periods of rising fed funds rates over the long-term period 1999-2023. My study focuses on the distribution of returns for the Top 20 stocks in the consumer staples over each rising interest rate period. My assumption holds if the skewness to the distribution of returns is positive.

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  A portfolio weighting model for the S&P 500 Real Estate sector based on two factors: (1) firm revenue and (2) gross operating profits: an empirical analysis 2009-2023.

  Patrick James Burns

  In this study I test the hypothesis that firm revenue growth and gross operating profits growth are priced-in-risk factors in the stock market. My base model is an equal weight model with the top 20 real estate stocks as my portfolio. The weights for the 20 stocks will change yearly based on firm revenue or gross operating profits growth. I then compare the returns to the broad market S&P 500 ETF SPY to determine if the factor models generate alpha. Given the efficient market hypothesis, I make the assumption that the alpha is a measure of the extra returns required by investors for their investment risk. The period of analysis is 2009-2023.

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  Candle Glass Inventory and Ordering Optimization

  Alla Ali Moosa Al Balushi, Ryan Edward Dowling, Joseph P. Melillo

  MIS and OPS Senior Capstone Projects include small teams of 3 or 4 senior students working weekly with a company/organization to solve a real business problem. These projects extend for the complete undergrad senior year including both Fall and Spring semesters. Students act as Project Consultants and Managers to guide the project from inception until conclusion by delivering solutions and deliverables to the client. Students produce project documentation and formal presentations at multiple stages of the project and conclude with presentations to the supporting Client's Leadership Team.

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  Consumer Discretionary Sector Returns in a Rising Interest-Rate Environment: an Empirical Analysis, 1999-2023

  Hayden Lee Gray

  In this study I consider two arguments concerning consumer discretionary sector stock returns in a rising interest rate environment. First, and using fed fund rates as my interest rate, rising rates due to economic growth and not federal reserve monetary policy, will most likely result in positive returns for consumer discretionary stocks. Second, if the fed fund rate increase is due to aggressive monetary policy tightening actions by the fed, then the consumer discretionary sector stock returns will likely be negative. To test my assumptions, I use returns for the top 20 stocks in the consumer discretionary sector over four distinct periods of rising fed fund rates within the overall period 1999-2023. I use the measure of skewness to validate my assumptions.

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  Cooperative Economic Games

  Zackary Dodge Adda-Berkane, Rachel Elizabeth Adolf, William John Arzola, Gary Ryan Beggs, Madison Paige Benson, Nicholas Joseph Blincoe, Danielle Monica Bolt, Emily Terese Bruns, Christopher Fredrick Casey, Aidan Joseph Cseh, Andrew Francis Drecnik, Justin Alexander Eichholz, Abigail Marie Folkening, Catherine E. Frazer, Kristofer Mark Geier, Andrew C. Haab, Casey Patrick Hippel, Tyler Michael Juliano, Aidan David Kelly, Mortimer Arturo Lugo Morales, David Joseph Maurer, Alyssa Lily Miller, Devyn D'Elle Mundy, Frank John Pinn, Abby Marie Plsek, George W. Proesel, Mark Neil Roble, Devin Michael Scharf, Nicole Marie Shinsky, Quinton Louis Smole, Thomas Michael Steck, Nicholas Donnelly Stone, Alexander Steven Tomczak, Molly Peighton Wood

  New discoveries in archeology confirm what economists have understood for some time: that humanity’s ability to survive and thrive is as much a result of our ability to cooperate as to compete. Indirect reciprocity—which prompts people to help unrelated strangers—has emerged as the most effective mechanism yet innovated by ‘the most invasive species’: enabling humans to achieve more—collectively—than would have been attainable—individually. But mitigating climate change demands that we cooperate to an unprecedented degree. In these Stander sessions, students will combine forces and play cooperative games in which the game is either positive sum (everybody’s a winner) or negative sum (everybody’s a loser). Games with different degrees of difficulty are available, and—space permitting—students can play as many iterations as desired. Sessions officially begin at 10:00, noon and 2:00 PM, but since game lengths are fungible, patient people—those with low rates of time preference—can arrive anytime and wait for a new game to commence.

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  Data Efficiency and Reporting Tool

  Alyssa Marie Hampton, William J. Spear, Lauren M. Zadalis

  MIS and OPS Senior Capstone Projects include small teams of 3 or 4 senior students working weekly with a company/organization to solve a real business problem. These projects extend for the complete undergrad senior year including both Fall and Spring semesters. Students act as Project Consultants and Managers to guide the project from inception until conclusion by delivering solutions and deliverables to the client. Students produce project documentation and formal presentations at multiple stages of the project and conclude with presentations to the supporting Client's Leadership Team.

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  Empirical Research Presentations in Economics

  Aaron Michael Arellano, Joseph C. Ariano, Michael F. Baffa, Austin S. Baker, Brett Robert Beardsley, Kevin James Borah, Andrew J. Cade, John Michael Connor, John P. Deeley, Anthony Vincent Dipaolo, Jack Joseph Drago, Luke J. Dreas, Justin Alexander Eichholz, Benjamin Matthew Engels, Matthew J. Erhardt, Trevor T. Fraley, Matthew K. Freel, John Thomas Graham, Garth E. Hall, Gabriel A. Haubner, Nathan Glenn Jabaay, Nicholas R. Kairys, Joseph R. Lauterbach, Daniel J. Lins, Timothy J. McCabe, Ryan P. McRae, Milan Miscevic, James A. Olson, Catherine Ann Rafter, Joshua John Russell, John James Smithwick, Greta Josephine Spees, John Richard Stanley, Matthew Casaclang Szell, Robert Brendan Taggart, Adam R. Thill, James R. Thomas, Jackson P. Ward, Elizabeth Claire Wonderley

  Four years of coursework culminate in a written and oral presentation of an empirical research project during the senior capstone course. Students apply economic theory and econometric techniques to analyze data in order to answer an original research question.

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  Empowering Effective Government Contract Management with the Development of a Project Manager Dashboard

  David W. Haberkorn, Theodore I. Miller, Jason Anthony Siangas-Lopez

  MIS and OPS Senior Capstone Projects include small teams of 3 or 4 senior students working weekly with a company/organization to solve a real business problem. These projects extend for the complete undergrad senior year including both Fall and Spring semesters. Students act as Project Consultants and Managers to guide the project from inception until conclusion by delivering solutions and deliverables to the client. Students produce project documentation and formal presentations at multiple stages of the project and conclude with presentations to the supporting Client's Leadership Team.

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  Energy Sector Stock Returns During Periods of Rising Fed Fund Rates: An Empirical Analysis 1999-2023

  Kathleen Mae Hattrup

  Stocks in the energy sector are highly volatile due to ongoing imbalances in the supply and demand for oil and natural gas. In this study, I examine the impact of rising interest rates and in particular, fed fund rates on energy sector stock returns. The period of analysis is from 1999-2023 within which there are four distinct periods where fed fund rates are rising. I expect positive returns to energy sector stocks in periods where the rate rise is simply due to economic growth. I expect negative returns when the rates are rising due to a policy of aggressive monetary tightening by the fed. I use the top 20 stocks by market cap in the S&P 500 energy sector to carry out my study.

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  Enterprise Risk Management Dashboard

  Tara Maureen Geary, Vince A. Holzheimer, Julie Anne Knight

  MIS and OPS Senior Capstone Projects include small teams of 3 or 4 senior students working weekly with a company/organization to solve a real business problem. These projects extend for the complete undergrad senior year including both Fall and Spring semesters. Students act as Project Consultants and Managers to guide the project from inception until conclusion by delivering solutions and deliverables to the client. Students produce project documentation and formal presentations at multiple stages of the project and conclude with presentations to the supporting Client's Leadership Team.

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  Establishing Inventory Optimization

  D'Angela Kierra Applewhite, Robert Hans Mueller, Luke C. Rimsky

  MIS and OPS Senior Capstone Projects include small teams of 3 or 4 senior students working weekly with a company/organization to solve a real business problem. These projects extend for the complete undergrad senior year including both Fall and Spring semesters. Students act as Project Consultants and Managers to guide the project from inception until conclusion by delivering solutions and deliverables to the client. Students produce project documentation and formal presentations at multiple stages of the project and conclude with presentations to the supporting Client's Leadership Team.

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  Facility Data Business Operations Improvement

  Matthew Gordon Adkins, Glenn Malvin Koranteng, Emilee H. Pham

  MIS and OPS Senior Capstone Projects include small teams of 3 or 4 senior students working weekly with a company/organization to solve a real business problem. These projects extend for the complete undergrad senior year including both Fall and Spring semesters. Students act as Project Consultants and Managers to guide the project from inception until conclusion by delivering solutions and deliverables to the client. Students produce project documentation and formal presentations at multiple stages of the project and conclude with presentations to the supporting Client's Leadership Team.

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  Financial sector stock returns in a rising Interest Rate Environment: An Empirical Analysis 1999-2023

  Michael James Kondritz, Ronald Joseph Marciano

  Financial economists have long assumed that a rising interest rate environment is favorable to financial institutions because they can lend out at interest rates greater than their cost of capital. In turn, this should result in higher financial sector stock returns. To test this hypothesis I look at four different time periods between 1999 and 2023 where the key Fed Funds rate has risen. I use the top 20 stocks by market cap in the financial sector to evaluate the relationship between rising Fed Fund rates and sector stock returns. A secondary objective is to see how non-bank entities faired, return wise, compared to the banks during these rising interest rate periods.

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  “Fitspirational” or Overhyped? How the Physical Persona of Fitness Influencers Affects Following Intentions

  Justin Daniel Palmer

  The social media landscape is filled with a variety of fitness influencers — experienced health and wellness proponents who post exercise-related advice and content for general audiences. Many of these influencers appear charismatic, inspirational, and well-intentioned. Yet, recent research suggests that fitness influencers may drive poor mental health outcomes by fueling negative comparisons and body shame. In turn, our research investigates what kind of fitness influencer is most appealing to consumers. Altogether, we find that relatability matters — and this is driven by the perceived attractiveness of the influencer.

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  Flyer Enterprises Executive Team Presentation

  Macy Ellis Buck, Lauren T. Crum, Emma Louise Devine, Max Dieter Garbsch, Michael John Harsar, Connor Patrick Keefe, Blaise Patrick Knoll, Shelby Ann LaMattina, Joseph Daniel Marshall, Wyatt Timothy Winters

  Flyer Enterprises is one of the nation's largest student run businesses, located on UD's campus. Join us, while the Executive Team discusses what Flyer Enterprises is all about, the opportunities we offer, how to apply, and when FE accepts the most applicants.

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  GEM Enterprise Dashboard

  Leonardo Emilio Castaneda, Anna C. Coyne, Mary Grace Y. Kaplan

  MIS and OPS Senior Capstone Projects include small teams of 3 or 4 senior students working weekly with a company/organization to solve a real business problem. These projects extend for the complete undergrad senior year including both Fall and Spring semesters. Students act as Project Consultants and Managers to guide the project from inception until conclusion by delivering solutions and deliverables to the client. Students produce project documentation and formal presentations at multiple stages of the project and conclude with presentations to the supporting Client's Leadership Team.

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  Housing stock returns and rising interest rates. Is there an Inverse Correlation?

  Thomas F. Roebker

  The demand for housing is considered to be inversely related to rising interest rates, particularly mortgage rates. In this study, however, I make the assumption that the Federal fund rate is a predictor of a future decline in economic activity which should be reflected in stock returns for the housing sector. I look at four periods of rising Federal Fund Rates spanning the overall period 1999-2023. If the distribution of returns is skewed left, then my assumption holds. If skewed to the right, then it does not hold. I utilized the top 20 stock returns by market capitalization in the housing sector to carry out my analysis.

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  How Do Information Technology Stocks, Return Wise, do when Fed Fund Rates are Rising? An Empirical Analysis 1999-2023

  Christopher Tristen Arkenau, Julia Catharine Reinker

  Information technology sector stocks are by-in-large, considered growth stocks and are also considered interest rate sensitive. In this study, I look at the returns to the top 20 stocks by market cap in the S&P 500 information technology sector to determine if they are inversely related to rising fed fund rates. I argue that if rising fed fund rate are due to strong economic growth and not monetary tightening, there is a positive relationship between IT stock returns and the fed fund rates. If the increase in fed fund rates is due to a policy of fed monetary tightening, then an inverse relationship will exist. I test my assumptions for four periods of rising fed fund rates within the overall period 1999-2023.

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  Intelligent Sales Forecasting Platform

  Isabelle M. Bailey, Amanda K. Bush, Christopher Michael DiGeronimo

  MIS and OPS Senior Capstone Projects include small teams of 3 or 4 senior students working weekly with a company/organization to solve a real business problem. These projects extend for the complete undergrad senior year including both Fall and Spring semesters. Students act as Project Consultants and Managers to guide the project from inception until conclusion by delivering solutions and deliverables to the client. Students produce project documentation and formal presentations at multiple stages of the project and conclude with presentations to the supporting Client's Leadership Team.

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  Is There an Inverse Relationship Between Utility Sector Stock Returns and Rising Interest Rates? An Empirical Analysis, 1999-2023.

  Andrew Charles Kohnen, Cannon Spelman

  Financial economists believe that utility sector stocks are bond proxies i.e., as yields on bonds increase, utility sector stock prices will decline. In this study, I test the hypothesis that an inverse relationship also exists between rising Federal Funds Rates and utility stock movements. For my test, I use four periods of rising Federal Funds Rates since 1999. These periods have different macro characteristics, with two occurring after an economics recession, one during a period of modest inflation and slow but steady economic growth, and the most recent period, February 2022 - August 2023, where inflation is high and rising and the Federal Reserve is aggressively raising the Federal Funds Rate. I use the Top 20 stocks by market in the utility sector to carry out my analysis.