Country Day Kids Win Stock Market Game

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INDIAN HILL – Three Cincinnati Country Day Middle School eighth-graders, who called themselves Triple Threat, turned out to be the real deal, winning the fall session of the Stock Market Game, sponsored twice yearly by the Economic Center for Education and Research at the University of Cincinnati. Lauren Wiley of West Chester, Carter McMaster of Milford and Ashley Streit of Indian Hill, turned a mythical investment of $100,000 into $118,618.24 by the end of the 10-week game.

They beat out an elementary grades team from Indian Hill that finished with $109,741.35 and a team from Waynesville High School that finished at $116,157.61.

The top three finishers in each grade category win cash and prizes. The first place team in each grade grouping shares $300 and a pizza party with classmates. Second place receives $200 and a pizza party, and third place $100 and a pizza party.

More than 2,360 students in 590 school teams across Southwest Ohio competed in this fall’s Stock Market Game. “We’ve seen quite a bit of new interest from teachers this year,” said Kimberly Moon, coordinator at the UC Economic Center. A teacher workshop for the spring competition, which starts Feb. 8, will be held Jan. 19 from 4-7 p.m. at Ohio National Financial Group in Blue Ash.

Triple Threat won by focusing on the basics. Its big stock pick was A-Power Energy Generation Systems, which provides on-site generation for micro power grids and wind turbines, which finished up 60.6 percent from the first week of October through last week.

“We picked an electric company because we figured people will need electricity,” said Lauren, a student of math teacher Susie Lewis, who had more than 70 seventh- and eighth-grade students in more than 20 teams participating in the game.

Some of Triple Threat’s other winners: IMAX Corp., the entertainment technology provider, up 26.3 percent, and pet retailer Petsmart Inc., up 18.9 percent. “People have pets and need to feed them,” Ashley Streit said.

But the trio really didn’t think they had a shot at winning after starting out in 89th place and hovering in third place until the last week when A-Power had a power surge and jumped 10 points.

“We were really surprised,” Ashley said. So were some of their teachers and parents, who looked to the trio for investment advice. “My mom got an online account and bought some A-Power stock" Carter said.