Two seniors rank in top three in national stock competition

jenny steinberg, staff writer|September 5, 2014

Ever dream of winning money? That is exactly what happened to seniors David Graham and Sean Baldwin for participating and placing in the top three of a national stock market competition through the University of Texas-Dallas (UT Dallas).

David Graham, senior, placed first in a national stock competition over the summer, winning $1,000. The contest focused on who earned the most money, but also featured quizzes and videos on topics such as personal finances.
David Graham, senior, placed first in a national stock competition over the summer, winning $1,000. The contest focused on who earned the most money, but also featured quizzes and videos on topics such as personal finances.

 

This national competition, officially known as the Top Performer Stock Competition, gives participants two months to trade on a virtual trading simulator to see who has the most money and the highest portfolio increase at the end of those two months after starting off with $1,000,000. Graham competed in this competition last summer as well.

 

“I really wanted to compete in it again this year, but this time, my sole focus was on winning and becoming the top performer. This year, I raided more risky stocks,” Graham said. “I received first place in the competition with a portfolio increase of 36.8% over the two month period of summer and I received $1000.”

 

Baldwin also placed in this competition; he received third place and was rewarded with $600. While the main goal of the competition was to earn the most amount of money, there are other aspects of the stock market the competition focused on.

 

“The competition stressed completing different modules and quizzes on topics such as personal finance and basic investment knowledge,” Graham said. “There were videos to watch and the quizzes to take. At the end, if you passed all four tests, you earned certificates for Personal Finance and Basic Investment Knowledge, and you got an extra $200,000 added onto your final total at the end of the competition.”

 

The Stock Market is an effective way to earn money if you are careful, Graham said. With the money he earned, Graham plans on investing the money into his real trading account in hopes to earn more money before going off to college. However, this is more than just earning money for him; he plans on going into a job revolving around the idea of the stock market.

 

“I would love to keep investing in the Stock Market. My goal is to become a financial advisor or an investment banker,” Graham said. “I have always had a passion for the stock market, and working for a company such as Goldman Sachs would be life changing.”