Impressive portfolios
Stock Market Game players awarded for profitable investments
10:36 a.m., June 7, 2013--This year’s Stock Market Game (SMG) winners for Delaware were celebrated during a reception and awards ceremony in the Ewing Room of Perkins Student Center on Wednesday, June 5.
The Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association administers the SMG nationwide to instill financial literacy in students, grades four through 12. The University of Delaware’s Center for Economic Education and Entrepreneurship has directed this 10-week program for Delaware teams since 1983. This year, 1,170 Delaware students competed on 284 teams.
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Winning teams were from North Star Elementary School, Shue-Medill Middle School, St. Andrew’s School and Claymont Boys and Girls Club.
After winning students, families and teachers enjoyed an assortment of buffet foods, Marion Jacobs, CEEE staff member and SMG coordinator, opened the program at 5 p.m. saying, “I’m really honored to welcome you to the Stock Market Game reception.” Competition is stiff and “the students do not make snap decisions…after they’ve done their homework they place trades at real time prices.”
Each team starts with a hypothetical $100,000 to invest in stocks traded on the New York, American and NASDAQ exchanges via an online simulation of Wall Street. Teams that increase their portfolio value by the highest percentage in elementary, middle and high school divisions are declared winners.
One of five original teachers to coach a team in 1983, Mike Lahoda, presented winning students with certificates and trophies. After the ceremony Lahoda said about playing stocks, “you’ve just got to keep practicing.”
Winning teams
From North Star Elementary, Nick Conaway, Dorian Francis, Jack LaFrankie, Collin Mash and Zach Welsh finished the game with a portfolio value of $123,786 — a 24 percent increase. Their coach, North Star teacher Margo Miller, has historically advised winning teams. After putting trophies and certificates at their dinner spots, team members reconvened at the front of Ewing to thank their coach and families for support.
From Shue-Medill Middle, Austin Berry, Tia Harris and Desirae Howard finished the game with a portfolio value of $116,472 — a 16 percent increase. Their coach was Shue-Medill teacher Kane Swaney. The team named itself “CashFlow,” and Swaney explained, “They said they will make cash and it will keep on flowing.”
The team bought shares of Lowe’s (LOW), Nike (NKE), UPS, Kraft (KRFT) and Hersey (HSY).
From St. Andrew’s, Jay Lee, YH Lee and Sangwon Shim finished the game with a portfolio value of $149,890 — a remarkable, nearly 50 percent increase. Their coach was St. Andrew’s teacher Eric Finch.
The boarding school’s team was not in attendance since its term ended last Saturday and team members left campus for home. “Too bad they’re not here to tell us their secrets,” Jacobs joked.
From Claymont Boys and Girls Club, Adham Fathy, Alfonza Jones, Gino Lites and Ronald Powell finished the game with a portfolio value of $100,211. Coach William Ward pushed them consistently for 10 weeks.
The team invested in Microsoft (MSFT), Apple (AAPL), Sony (SNE) and Nike (NKE).
InvestWrite
Any student on an SMG team is eligible to submit an essay exhibiting his or her ability to write critically on investment strategy. Rebecca Heinz, from Cab Calloway School of the Arts, was honored after winning Delaware’s InvestWrite high school division.
Her essay question was “How do natural events affect the stock market?” Heinz said coach Christopher Clark taught her how this works.
The Securities Unit for the Attorney General Office helps sponsor the stock market program in Delaware. After presentations were complete, Deputy Attorney General Victoria W. Counihan congratulated the students and said, “I’m really proud you took time to invest in this program because you’re really investing in yourselves and your education.”
CEEE Director Jim O’Neill took the floor last, saying “the success of the program is due to the leader of the program,” in reference to SMG coordinator Marion Jacobs. “I really want to thank you for coming on a beautiful June day to celebrate a great learning experience,” he said.
Article by Christopher W. Pinti
Photos by Doug Baker