In Professor Shahriar Mostashari’s economics classes, students compete in a stock market simulation game to see who will end the semester with the best gains. Each student uses HowTheMarketWorks (HTMW) program and starts with a virtual $100,000 to practice investing before using real money. HTMW is used by over 400,000 individuals and students each year at universities across the country.
This year’s competition took place between students in ECON 202, ECON 420 and ECON 455. To round out the semester, each class took a six-question financial literacy quiz developed by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority’s Investor Education Foundation. Their scores were compared to class averages nationally and in North Carolina. Mostashari reported that Campbell ECON 202 students scored extremely well their financial literacy post-test, earning an average score of 4.76 and beating both the national average (3 points) and State average (2.9 points).
“I am so glad to see that 46% of the teams finished in the black in spite of two major drops in the averages in early December” Mostashari said.
Winners:
. In first place was Samuel Kust, a junior with a Major in Trust and Wealth Management. Originally from Illinois, he came to Campbell after being stationed at Fort Liberty.
Strategy: “My strategy for investing in the stock market was a mix of buying and holding index funds and finding companies with stock prices that did not match with what they should be valued at using various financial statements.”
In second place was Hanna Hodgins, a junior Business management major from Lillington, North Carolina. She is a member of the Campbell marching band color guard and the winter guard.
Strategy: “My strategy this semester was to buy in bulk and then hold them.”
In third place was Xavier Kane, a junior in Lundy Fetterman, School of Business. Kane is from Blacksburg Virginia, and majoring in business administration. He plays safety for Campbell Football.
Strategy: “I invested my money in well known companies.”
In fourth place wasMatthew Dallara, a senior on the wrestling team majoring in Finance.
Strategy: “During the course of the stock market game, I took a conservative approach. I invested in companies I believe in with significant earnings and with an undervaluation at the time of investment. I enjoyed the process of investing and figuring out what may work best for me when eventually investing my own money.”