HOPE – Five teams from Hope High School outpaced gains in the stock market in a virtual competition designed to provide hands-on experience in financial markets and money management.
“I am so proud of my five teams who participated in the Capitol Hill Stock Market Game,” HHS sponsor Kathy Knight said. “I am proud to say that all five of my teams had a two percent to almost nine percent return above that of the Standard and Poor 500 Index growth.”
A total of 18 ninth grade students and one 10th grade student were divided into five teams for the competition which was conducted from Feb. 2 – May 8.
“There were 2,440 teams across the nation participating in the Capitol Hill Stock Market Game,” Knight said. “Each team began with a fictional $100,000, which the students had to invest.”
Game rules required each team to manage a portfolio of stocks, bonds and mutual fund investments which had to be determined by early March with minimum investments of $10,000 in each stock, bond or mutual fund holding.
Knight said while the game was part of a PreAP Economics class she taught, six of the students were volunteers from other classes.
“I did explain stocks, mutual funds and bonds, and helped them get started, but for the most part, they did this on their own,” she said. “Students not in the same classes would often meet in my room during Cats days to work on their portfolios. They had to decide which stocks, bonds and mutual funds to buy, and they could buy and sell as often as they wanted.”
HHS team results were as follows:
Team 1 – Hinga Dinga Durgon team of Camron Robinson, Anthony Hall and Calvin Haynes ended with an 8.1638 percent growth rate above the S&P index. The team ranked 1,259th with ending equity of $98,995.70.
Team 2 – Cordagea Baker, Jamaria Flemming, Alecia Martin, and Lakhen Stuart produced an 8.8719 percent growth rate above the S&P index. The team ranked 1,058th with an ending equity of $99,703.79.
Team 3 – Daniel Marrufo, Geovanny Ibarra Gonzalez, and Esmeralda Dominguez concluded the competition with a 7.4956 percent growth rate above the S&P index. The team ranked 1,407th with an ending equity of $98,327.52.
Team 4 – Fantastic 5 team of Haylee Lockhart, Marvin Wheaton, Chaddrick Noble, Tkhyah Walker, and Tylesha Armstrong produced a 2.7215 percent growth rate above the S&P index. The team ranked 1,944th with ending equity of $93,553.37.
Team 5 – Emily Garcia, Jaslyn Ellis, Alexander Cortes, and Zakery Bingle finished with an 8.1270 percent growth rate above the S&P index. The team ranked 1,241st with an ending equity of $99,048.91.