WHS sends two teams to 2018 Junior Achievement Stock Market Challenge
Wahoo Booyah Boiz & Wahoo's Wealthiest placed 2nd overall with impressive 31.9% return on their investments!
Launch the media gallery 1 player10, 9, 8, 7 . . . RING!!! The ringing of the opening bell at the Junior Achievement Stock Market Challenge tells everyone that stock trading can begin!
The Junior Achievement Stock Market Challenge is “an innovative, dynamic, high-tech event that simulates the unpredictable ride through the highs and lows of the stock market!” (Source: innovate.unl.edu)
Two teams from Wahoo High School participated in the 2018 Challenge held on UNL’s Innovation Campus, on Tuesday, November 13. Team members for the “Wahoo Booyah Boiz” were Vanis Davison, Trevin Luben, Joe Scanlon and Karson Hesser, and “Wahoo’s Wealthiest” members were Josh Luedtke, Yordy Talavera, Jackson Taylor, and Mattie Pfeiffer.
Fifty-two teams participated in the two-hour afternoon challenge. Each team was given $1,000,000 to invest in a list of fictitious and real name stocks.
The total challenge was for 60 days – each day consisting of 80 seconds. Press releases, IPOs (initial public offering), and world happenings were announced each day. Students had to quickly decide how these would affect their trading.
After the 60 days, Wahoo Booyah Boiz finished in 11th place with an ROI (return on investment) of 32.09%! Wahoo’s Wealthiest placed 12th with a ROI of 31.79%!
When computing the team average per school, Wahoo placed 2nd overall with a ROI of 31.9%. First place winner Lincoln North Star’s ROI was 33.2%. These are GREAT returns!
“It really reminded me of the videos I see of the New York Stock Exchange,” commented WHS Business Teacher Barb Shanahan. “Everyone was busy strategizing their purchases or sells and then yelling out to get the attention of a trader.”
Hesser said, “It was a real-life look into the life of a stock trader. I was getting a little stressed out.”
Pfeiffer concluded, “I learned a lot more about stocks and trading than I could in the classroom.”
Yordy, Mattie and Jackson analyze their portfolio.
Karson works on some calculations.
Trevin tries to convince his teammates to make a trade.