Hedge Fund Simulation
An immersive investment management experience.
Run a Hedge Fund. Trade Global Markets. Navigate Crises.
What happens when inflation surges, central banks change course, war disrupts energy markets, or a major bank collapses?
In this immersive one-day simulation, students form investment teams, construct multi-asset portfolios, and make investment decisions as global markets evolve around them.
Drawing on the frameworks used by professional investors, students will analyse macroeconomic conditions, assess risk, identify opportunities, and decide what to buy, sell, or hold - before defending their decisions to investors.
A Practical Companion to Global Banking & Markets
The Hedge Fund Simulation is designed to complement the Global Banking & Markets Masterclass. Students do not need to have completed the GBM Masterclass to participate, but those who have will be able to put their understanding of macroeconomics and financial markets into practice through the simulation.
Programme Overview
The Hedge Fund Simulation gives students the opportunity to experience how professional investment teams make decisions under uncertainty.
Students will begin by learning how monetary policy, fiscal policy, inflation, employment, economic growth, geopolitics, and other macroeconomic forces influence financial markets.
They will then be divided into investment teams and asked to build portfolios of equities, bonds, currencies, commodities, funds, and derivatives.
Over four simulated quarters, teams will respond to a series of evolving market events - from geopolitical crises and energy shocks to banking failures and changes in central-bank policy.
The simulation focuses on qualitative investment judgement rather than complex mathematical modelling or technical analysis. Students will learn to understand the mechanisms connecting economic events to asset prices - for example, why falling interest rates may support equities and gold, or why an energy supply shock could benefit oil producers while hurting airlines.
At each stage, teams must decide how to allocate their capital, manage risk, and communicate their investment thesis under significant time pressure.
The objective is not simply to generate the highest return, but to achieve the strongest risk-adjusted performance while demonstrating sound investment judgement.
Course Details
October Half-term 2026
One-day live intensive
Date: Wednesday 28 October 2026
Time: 10:00am–4:30pm UK time
Format: live online
Cohort: limited to 12 students
Fees
Standard: £195
Includes the full-day Hedge Fund Simulation, all teaching and course materials, and a digital certificate upon completion.
Enhanced: £275
Includes everything in Standard, plus:
One-to-one finance & careers session
Personalised CV and LinkedIn feedback
Access to catch-up recordings, where required
Course Director
Luke
After graduating from the University of Oxford, Luke joined a Sales & Trading desk at Goldman Sachs in London, where he worked with hedge fund clients on leveraged products, including exotics, options, and derivatives.
He has worked on capital formation transactions, including IPOs, that raised ~$1 billion on the London Stock Exchange, and more recently has been involved in private equity, M&A advisory, and sell-side transactions in Asia.
What Students Will Experience
Build a multi-asset portfolio: construct and actively manage a portfolio spanning equities, bonds, foreign exchange, commodities, funds, and derivatives
Trade through changing markets: respond to major economic, geopolitical, and financial events as they unfold, deciding when to buy, sell, hold, hedge, or change strategy
Think like an investor: learn to distinguish between what markets have already priced in and what might cause a significant re-pricing. Students will consider:
What is priced in?
What is the catalyst?
Where is the asymmetric opportunity?
What could go wrong?
How should the position be expressed?
Manage risk: students must balance return against risk, considering diversification, concentration, hedging, volatility, and downside protection
Defend investment decisions: each team will provide regular updates to its investors, explaining its portfolio positioning, investment thesis, and response to changing market conditions
Compete against other investment teams: teams compete to achieve the strongest overall performance across the simulation, with results assessed on portfolio returns, risk management, investment strategy, and communication
How the Day Is Structured
10:00–11:15
The Macro Engine: What Moves Markets?
An interactive introduction to the key forces driving global financial markets, including monetary policy, fiscal policy, inflation, growth, geopolitics, and bond markets.
11:30–13:00
Portfolio Construction & Market Simulation
Teams construct their initial portfolios and navigate the first two simulated quarters.
13:00–14:00
Lunch & Interim Results
14:00–15:15
Crisis & Market Simulation
Teams navigate the increasingly challenging third and fourth quarters, making decisions under greater uncertainty and pressure.
15:30–16:00
Investment Review
Teams analyse their performance, defend their decisions, and identify what they would have done differently.
16:00–16:30
Real-World Markets & Professional Skills
Connect the simulation to real financial markets and reflect on the professional skills developed throughout the day - from analytical thinking and decision-making to teamwork, communication, and performing under pressure.
Who It’s For
The programme is designed for ambitious Year 11–13 students, with places also available to university students with an interest in:
Financial markets and investing
Economics and geopolitics
Hedge funds and asset management
Investment banking and markets
Data and analytical problem-solving
Careers in finance
No previous experience in finance is required. Students will be given the frameworks and information they need to participate.
The Hedge Fund Simulation is complementary to the Global Banking & Markets Masterclass, with distinct content focused on investment decision-making, portfolio construction, and risk management.
What You’ll Develop
By the end of the simulation, students will have developed practical experience in:
Macro-economic analysis
Portfolio construction
Investment strategy
Risk management
Asset allocation
Derivatives
Financial-market analysis
Investment thesis development
Decision-making under uncertainty
Presenting and defending investment decisions