Students in ECON 420-Money and Banking and ECON 451-Essentials of Global Trade and Finance classes recently participated in a stock market simulation, achieving impressive returns on their virtual investments.
Over the course of 13 weeks, participants from the Lundy-Fetterman School of Business were tasked with developing successful investment portfolios, investing a virtual $100,000 in real-world stocks, ETFs, mutual funds and cryptocurrencies traded on NYSE, NASDAQ, and Canadian exchanges. The top three students (pictured below) were Ethan Hughson, Robert Beaman and Nick Aderholt.
To succeed in the competition, students had to actively trade, including buying, selling, and engaging in at least one short sell and short cover transaction per reporting period. They utilized a variety of resources including class lectures, textbook materials, Wall Street Survivor’s courses, investing ideas, https://www.morningbrew.com/daily, videos and a wide array of print and online sources to prepare and submit their investment portfolio reports online.
Using Stock-Trak’s trading room platform, students participated in the semester-long Stock Market Game, tracking their progress with real-time stock prices, portfolio performance, and class rankings on HowTheMarketWorks.COM. Stock-Trak products are widely used, with over 1,300 professors, 60,000 students, and 80% of the top business schools in thirty countries incorporating them into their classes each year.
Among the standout performers were Robert Beaman, a junior Trust and Wealth Management major from Raleigh, who found success in aggressively short selling high-flying small-cap stocks. Nick Aderholt, a Trust and Wealth Management major from Charlotte, invested heavily in emerging AI stocks, including META and NVIDIA. Ethan Hughson, a 4+1 Economics and Finance major from Trap, focused on undervalued companies while shorting overvalued ones.
Dr. Shahriar Mostashari, Associate Dean and Professor of Business, commented on this year’s exceptional cohort, noting that they achieved an unprecedented rate of return in the 30 plus year history of the SMG Competition at Campbell. He commended Beaman, Aderholt and Hughson for their stock market wizardry, with 468%, 54% and 24% returns, respectively.
The SMG Competition not only provided students with a virtual “real time” trading experience but also imparted real-world lessons in investment strategies and financial decision-making. This year’s success underscores the value of hands-on practice in developing a successful investment portfolio.
Student Led Investment Funds (SIF):
The business school is fortunate to have two SIFs aimed at two different audiences. The Burt Family SIF is embedded in an advanced Finance course as a capstone investment experience. Student teams often present their results in SIF competitions around the country. The Schaffernoth SIF is the focal point of the Finance Club which is open to first-year LFSB students and all students from around campus interested in investing or knowing more about investing.