Time To Read:
This project comes recommended from Leesa Hudak from Bow High School in New Hampshire. Learn more about Leesa’s classes in our case study!
Objective:
Students will build and manage a stock portfolio over the course of a semester, making investment decisions based on research, market trends, and risk assessment.
Project Guidelines:
- Starting Funds:
- Each student begins with $100,000 in virtual cash.
- A weekly deposit of $2,000 in cash will be added to their portfolio.
- Students may not have more than $2,000 in cash at any time.
- Investment Rules:
- It is recommended to invest in at least 3 different sectors (e.g., Technology, Healthcare, Energy, Consumer Goods, Financials, etc.).
- Note: our Sectors Explorer Tool is a great resource to help students get started!
- Must hold at least 5 different stocks at all times. Research on these stocks must be submitted before any trades can be made.
- Stocks can be bought and sold throughout the semester.
- No single stock may comprise more than 30% of the portfolio’s total value at any given time.
- It is recommended to invest in at least 3 different sectors (e.g., Technology, Healthcare, Energy, Consumer Goods, Financials, etc.).
- Research & Strategy: This will be done as a homework assignment BEFORE the competition begins.
- Students must research each stock before purchasing, justifying their investment based on:
- Company financials
- Recent news
- Market trends
- Potential risks & rewards
- They should define an investment strategy (e.g., growth, value, dividend investing).
- Note: our Stock Comparison Tool is an excellent way to introduce students into how to start their research!
- Students must research each stock before purchasing, justifying their investment based on:
- Final Report & Presentation:
- At the end of the semester, students will submit a final report including:
- Summary of investment philosophy
- Summary of initial investments and reasoning behind each investment
- Weekly performance overview
- Key learning experiences
- Final portfolio value and performance analysis
- A 5-10 minute presentation summarizing their experience, wins, losses, and key takeaways.
- At the end of the semester, students will submit a final report including:
Evaluation Criteria:
20 points:
1. Your portfolio return must be within 5% points of the S & P 500 by the end of the competition. The 5% is based on the starting value of the S & P (5, 608.36) vs the ending value of the S & P. Portfolios that BEAT the S & P 500 will receive 1 point for every 3% that the ROI is greater than the S & P
Your portfolio must be within the parameters of the competition in order to receive ANY of these points.
This portion of the project is time sensitive and, therefore, a reassessment is not possible.
2. Weekly Check-Ins: NOTE: Weekly check-ins will be done throughout the semester as homework assignments and are not part of the project grade.
5 points per week: for staying within the parameters (weekly check in to check cash balance and minimum of 5 stocks).
Weekly check in will take place at the beginning of the last class of the week.
Try out PersonalFinanceLab in your classes!
If you want to give Leesa’s class project a try, book a demo with our sales team to learn more about utilizing PersonalFinanceLab in your classes!