Team proves choosing the Best Buy pays off
1SHS beats Dow, others to win contest
4/30/2013Springfield High School’s 1SHS wasn’t overly confident in its portfolio when the team made its choices for The Blade’s Annual School Stock Contest in January.
The senior team went with what it knew and what it thought would profit in a limited time span. Going with Yahoo! Inc., Google Inc., Wal-Mart Stores Inc., and Best Buy Co. Inc., would turn out to be the best decision 1SHS’ members could make.
The team managed to rise from 73rd place after Week 1 to the top spot after the 12th and final week of the contest.
The event included 115 teams from northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan. Each team was allotted a hypothetical $40,000 budget, and the funds were allocated evenly among four stocks. The stocks initially were worth at least $5 a share.
The winning team saw its portfolio grow 21.56 percent to $48,622. During that same period, the Dow Jones Industrial Average grew about 5 percent. The S&P 500 climbed about 4.6 percent.
Marquan Hodges, 18, picked Best Buy, which was one of the stocks that helped the team earn top honors. Best Buy’s stock value grew almost 46 percent to $23.50 during the 12-week contest
“They make tons of money and they were at the top, so I picked them,” Mr. Hodges said. “I really didn’t think we would win.”
The team’s other three stocks also increased in value during the contest, which ended Friday.
Second place went to Gulhaye from Bowling Green High School, which owned shares of Priceline.com Inc., Southwest Airlines Co., Abbott Laboratories, and Zillow Inc.
Another Springfield team, 4SHS, finished third. Springfield High also had teams place in fourth, 12th, and 18th place.
“All the other teams seemed good, especially since we were going against teams from other schools,” said Jade Jones, 17, a member of 1SHS.
Ninety-five of the 115 teams saw their portfolios grow during the contest. The team that finished last saw its portfolio lose about 7 percent of its value.
1SHS won $250 for the students and $250 for the school. Gulhaye will receive $250 for the school, and 4SHS gets $100 for the school. The contest is sponsored by The Blade’s Newspaper in Education program, the Taylor Automotive Family, Fifth Third Bank, and the University of Toledo, which calculates the results.
All the teams did a good job and hopefully learned about how the economy impacts people’s daily lives, Ronald Belle, investment advisers executive and senior vice president at Fifth Third Bank, wrote in an email to The Blade. The top teams managed to cultivate portfolios that encompassed different types of companies, he said.
“1SHS and Gulhaye each had diversified portfolios that helped them to take advantage of the market’s normal movements,” Mr. Belle said.
Jennifer Hoel, who teaches the participating teams from Springfield High, said her students did solid research before the competition and deserve all the credit for their success.
“They made nice selections and they did that on their own,” she said.
This was the second year Ms. Hoel had students participate in the contest. Her classes immersed themselves in how the stock market works and that paid off, she said.
“I had them get started earlier on looking at what they wanted to invest in,” she said.
Ron Nickey, who teaches Gulhaye’s members at Bowling Green High School, said his students had hoped to keep their first-place spot in the final week but couldn’t manage it. The team closed out the contest with $47,956 and overall growth of 19.89 percent.
One of Mr. Nickey’s teams took second place last year.
“This is our second year of coming in second place,” he said. “We've done that before. Obviously, the kids were interested in beating the first-place team.”
Contact Kris Turner at:kturner@theblade.comor 419-724-6103.
Final results of The Blade School Stock Contest, with team name, school, and portfolio amount. Each team started with a mythical $40,000.
1. 1SHS, Springfield High, Holland, $48,622.90
2. Gulhaye, Bowling Green High, $47,956.63
3. 4SHS, Springfield High, Holland, $47,566.26
4. JD2T, Springfield High, Holland, $47,239.98
5. HASBULL, Pike Delta York Middle, Delta, $46,967.04
6. LIGERS, West Side Montessori, Toledo, $46,655.10
7. Pirates, Maritime Academy of Toledo, $46,406.86
8. ATMS, Byrnedale Elementary, Toledo, $46,362.08
9. ChChing, Fallen Timbers Middle School, Whitehouse, $45,609.38
10. CashFlo, All Saints Catholic School, Rossford, $45,521.39
11. GABAJ, All Saints Catholic School, Rossford, $45,473.94
12. THEHELP, Springfield High, Holland, $45,305.72
13. Phoenix, Bowling Green Christian Academy, $45,303.54
14. RMDC, Patrick Henry Middle, Hamler, $45,227.83
15. tropics, Saint John The Baptist, Toledo, $45,145.87
16. Chicas, Saint Rose, Perrysburg, $45,086.09
17. McNugtz, Rossford Junior High, $44,946.51
18. 2SHS, Springfield High, Holland, $44,913.09
19. ZACOPS2, Bowling Green Christian Academy, $44,911.16
20. Clay.99, Clay High, Oregon, $44,879.14
21. Team123, Dundee (Mich.) High, $44,634.96
22. Pokadot, St. Pius X, Toledo, $44,578.87
23. Sclywag, Maritime Academy of Toledo, $44,519.37
24. Bears, Bowling Green Middle School, $44,515.33
25. Kajiger, Dundee (Mich.) High, $44,494.18
26. Hot Fuz, Fostoria Jr./Sr. High, $44,436.87
27. bops127, Arbor Hills Jr. High, Sylvania, $44,409.85
28. CashMe6, Oak Harbor Middle, Oak Harbor, $44,345.18
29. ONIFC, Dundee (Mich.) High, $44,342.35
30. KaChing, Oak Harbor Middle, Oak Harbor, $44,324.24
31. jleader, Bowling Green High, $44,300.08
32. calairs, Saint John The Baptist, Toledo, $44,130.55
33. BGHS72, Bowling Green High, $44,107.69
34. Kakier, Bowling Green High, $44,080.33
35. crusher, Saint John The Baptist, Toledo, $44,024.95
36. Clay_8, Clay High, Oregon, $44,021.30
37. 5SHS, Springfield High, Holland, $43,999.70
38. Umizomi, Fostoria Jr./Sr. High, $43,709.47
39. Winners, Bowling Green High, $43,372.97
40. Clay1, Clay High, Oregon, $43,341.53
41. 3SHS, Springfield High, Holland, $43,321.59
42. butterz, West Side Montessori, Toledo, $43,263.33
43. tmJACOB, West Side Montessori, Toledo, $43,250.08
44. Potter, Dundee (Mich.) High, $43,222.20
45. unicorn, Bowling Green High, $43,180.43
46. Stocker, Park Elementary, Swanton, $43,112.10
47. WHOSPM, Springfield High, Holland, $43,105.24
48. TheWall, Bowling Green Middle School, $43,080.93
49. Fishmth, Maritime Academy of Toledo, $43,079.13
50. CHSseis, Clay High, Oregon, $43,061.08
51. Legit, St. Pius X, Toledo, $42,990.26
52. NARNIA9, Springfield High, Holland, $42,869.50
53. Tacvuli, Rossford Junior High, $42,766.78
54. FatCash, Dundee (Mich.) High, $42,575.23
55. G Unit, Whiteford Agricultural, Ottawa Lake, $42,563.79
56. tpteam, Saint John The Baptist, Toledo, $42,534.54
57. LHSTG6, L Hollingworth School for the Talented & Gifted, Toledo, $42,422.65
58. gecko, Saint John The Baptist, Toledo, $42,354.44
59. HOBIE, Dundee (Mich.) High, $42,324.70
60. Zizzles, Bowling Green High, $42,284.80
61. squirls, Saint Rose, Perrysburg, $42,243.07
62. Bankbr2, Byrnedale Elementary, Toledo, $42,230.51
63. 5jmlllz, West Side Montessori, Toledo, $42,199.17
64. AnteUp, Fallen Timbers Middle School, Whitehouse, $42,131.90
65. Quibble, Whiteford Agricultural, Ottawa Lake, $42,031.61
66. BIZNESS, Anthony Wayne Jr. High, Whitehouse, $42,030.73
67. Maybee, Dundee (Mich.) High, $41,949.74
68. Catbobs, Bowling Green High, $41,925.00
69. Pro LSP, Saint Rose, Perrysburg, $41,894.93
70. CLAYed7, Clay High, Oregon, $41,856.83
71. Fisher, Bowling Green High, $41,693.07
72. Nickpet, Bowling Green High, $41,692.43
73. Preptar, Dundee (Mich.) High, $41,680.68
74. Briar, Briar Middle School, Sandusky, $41,589.87
75. CRZB, Dundee (Mich.) High, $41,582.93
76. lucky21, Arbor Hills Jr. High, Sylvania, $41,564.75
77. SABIBAS, Rossford Junior High, $41,473.47
78. MoneyMe, Park Elementary, Swanton, $41,418.66
79. Kaleb, Bowling Green High, $41,355.97
80. LHSTG78, L Hollingworth School for the Talented & Gifted, Toledo, $41,299.57
81. Clayhs2, Clay High, Oregon, $40,981.20
82. Cemerso, Bowling Green High, $40,839.88
83. Golden6, Oak Harbor Middle, $40,711.62
84. morgan, Bowling Green Middle School, $40,665.82
85. Heat, Fostoria Jr./Sr. High, $40,563.49
86. BLUCHIP, Oak Harbor Middle School, $40,430.48
87. 5PSNPOD, Arbor Hills Jr. High, Sylvania, $40,339.20
88. BIGboat, Maritime Academy of Toledo, $40,331.26
89. Cashbag, Anthony Wayne Jr. High, Whitehouse, $40,189.86
90. sailors, Maritime Academy of Toledo, $40,180.74
91. KRABAPS, Rossford Junior High, $40,093.57
92. BGHS1, Bowling Green High, $40,085.12
93. Blank, Bowling Green High, $40,074.25
94. CashCow, Anthony Wayne Jr. High, Whitehouse, $40,006.74
95. jmorgan, Bowling Green Middle School, $40,003.91
96. BrickSq, Bowling Green High, $39,919.89
97. Kwame54, Saint Rose, Perrysburg, $39,899.05
98. Moolah, Anthony Wayne Jr. High, Whitehouse, $39,882.87
99. Lottery, Fallen Timbers Middle School, Whitehouse, $39,867.25
100. CBDCKK, Dundee (Mich.) High, $39,858.36
101. MX3, Park Elementary, Swanton, $39,844.18
102. SnrGrls, Whiteford Agricultural, Ottawa Lake, $39,715.95
103. NoSwag, Rossford Junior High, $39,570.61
104. MDMM, Byrnedale Elementary, Toledo, $39,531.62
105. BGHS2, Bowling Green High, $39,492.82
106. Pancake, Dundee (Mich.) High, $39,470.90
107. Copeski, Bowling Green High, $39,351.85
108. sfsCash, St. Francis de Sales, Toledo, $39,223.09
109. Redmen, Fostoria Jr./Sr. High, $39,029.57
110. Hogwild, Dundee (Mich.) High, $38,910.57
111. TEAMSHS, Springfield High, Holland, $38,640.07
112. Gambrel, Bowling Green High, $38,348.42
113. Bulls, Bowling Green Middle School, $38,205.44
114. Gulible, Dundee (Mich.) High, $38,027.40
115. ADMBP1, West Side Montessori, Toledo, $37,147.16