By Ken Bentsen and Melanie Mortimer
On June 9, 2012, SIFMA and the SIFMA Foundation held an awards ceremony recognizing the top five teams of the ninth annual Stock Market Game™ - “Capitol Hill Challenge” in the House Financial Services Committee Room in Washington, DC.
The Stock Market Game™ – “Capitol Hill Challenge” is a competition in which teams of up to five students from across the country invest a virtual portfolio originally valued at $100,000. The teams then trade stocks, bonds and mutual funds on the open market, striving to build the strongest portfolio possible.
This year’s competition saw a record amount of participation by both students and members of Congress. SIFMA and the SIFMA Foundation hope to continue this growth in future years. As Ken Bentsen, the executive vice president, public policy and advocacy of SIFMA, said, “We’re pleased with the progress that has been made on our end increasing not only the number of teams participating – 3,000 teams involving 13,000 students, but also we are now linked up with more than 430 members of Congress. We won’t stop until we get to the full 535 members and the five delegates.”
The top five finishing teams in this year’s competition include:
- Lewisburg High School from Lewisburg, Pa.
- Neuqua Valley High School from Naperville, Ill.
- West Ranch High School from Stevenson Ranch, Calif.
- Troy High School from Troy, Mich.
- International Academy from Bloomfield Hills, Mich.
Among the awarded students were freshman (freshmen) and recently graduated seniors, as well as first time traders and experienced ones. Investing strategies differed as well, as some portfolios featured foreign investments, manipulation of volatility, exchange traded funds, and buy-and-hold. Despite the teams’ differences, each of them made impressive gains on their portfolios, with yields ranging from 54 percent to 185 percent.
As a result of their accomplishment, the students and their teachers were rewarded with a trip to Washington, DC where they got to meet their elected Member of Congress, tour the nation’s Capitol, and see first-hand how our national economic policies are developed. For several students, it was their first visit the nation’s capital.
Representative Judy Biggert congratulates a two-time winning team from her district, Neuqua Valley High School
The Award Ceremony that concluded their visit featured guest speakers including Melanie Mortimer, Executive Director of the SIFMA Foundation; Judy Biggert, Chairwoman of the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Insurance, Housing and Community Opportunity; and Congressman Gary Peters, member of the House Financial Services Committee; and Ken Bentsen.
Each speaker spoke highly of the value of the Stock Market Game™ and the accomplishments of the students. As Congresswoman Biggert welcomed students, she referred to them as the “nation’s best and brightest, up and coming investors.” She continued by stressing how important financial awareness is, especially in today’s society where “only 24 percent of adults in the United States are now saving more than they did a year ago.” She then noted, “When it comes to day-to-day financial decisions, nothing protects consumers and their financial security more effectively than arming them with a sound foundation in financial literacy. That’s why the SIFMA Stock Market Game is so important. And it’s more than a game. It provides high school students with the tools they need to become well-informed investors in the real world.”
Representative Peters congratulates one of the two (two!) winning teams from his district, Troy High School and International Academy
Congressman Peters agreed as he recognized the worth of the competition: “This Stock Market Game really brings out the best in financial thinking.” He then reminded the students, “The education you’re getting today, and demonstrating that you know so well, will pay huge dividends in real money.”
The students also recognized how the interactive nature of the Stock Market Game™ allowed them to gain real-world knowledge of the stock market. As one student from International Academy said, “Before participating in the Stock Market Game, we knew the general trends, but now we know how the market actually operates.”
A student from Lewisburg High School followed that up by expressing a lesson that each of the teams learned: “Money can be made in both bear and bull markets.”
A member from the Neuqua Valley High School team, however, conceded, “We learned that with gains come losses” in investing. Everyone involved agreed that they learned more about the stock market than they ever had before and said they would definitely continue to follow the markets in the future.
Representative Peters congratulates one of the two (two!) winning teams from his district, Troy High School and International Academy
Overall the “Capitol Hill Challenge” demonstrated that the Stock Market Game™ is an invaluable resource for educating the nation’s next investors. Perhaps no greater praise for the program could be found than in the words of the Lewisburg High School, “What stands out is how much we learned and how much fun we had.”
View Highlights from the Awards Ceremony and Photo Gallery
Kenneth E. Bentsen, Jr. - Executive Vice President, Public Policy & Advocacy, SIFMA
Melanie Mortimer - Executive Director, SIFMA Foundation
