Perrysburg team eyes upset in The Blade’s Annual School Stock Contest
Surge in growth propels Chicas from 34th to 8th place
4/16/2013The top four teams in The Blade’s Annual School Stock Contest stood firm in their positions from Week 9 to Week 10, but a team from Saint Rose Catholic School in Perrysburg could upset the top competitors if it continues its monumental growth.
In the course of one week, Chicas’ portfolio grew 7.37 percent to move from 34th place to eighth. The team’s portfolio has grown from $40,000 at the start of the contest to $45,104.
“Chicas’ portfolio focuses on the consumer discretionary segment of the market, a segment that typically does well when consumers are feeling confident. Confidence often follows positive economic news [such as] home prices increasing, the stock market hitting new record highs, unemployment rate moving down,” Ronald Belle, investment advisers executive and senior vice president at Fifth Third Bank, a contest sponsor, wrote in an email to The Blade.
The team has stock in Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc., Skechers USA Inc., Starbucks Corp., and Monster Beverage Corp. The four stocks averaged 10 percent growth during the last three months.
Keeping that momentum through the last two weeks of the contest could be challenging if the headwind on Wall Street changes direction, Mr. Belle said.
“A strategy we have talked about throughout the contest has been segment diversification. Over time, diversification helps to build sustainable portfolio growth. If your strategy is short term results, [and] the contest is short term, playing the hot segment will help your portfolio grow quickly. The question is always, ‘Which sector will be the next hot sector?’ ”
The contest, which runs through Apr. 26, has 115 teams from northwest Ohio and southern Michigan participating. They were given a hypothetical $40,000 budget, and the funds were evenly distributed among four stocks, which initially were worth at least $5 a share. Each team had one chance to trade in one or more of their stocks for different stocks.
The team with the best-performing portfolio will win $250 for the students and $250 for the school. Second place will receive $250 for the school, and third place gets $100 for the school.
The contest is sponsored by The Blade’s Newspaper in Education program, the Taylor Automotive Family Group, Fifth Third, and the University of Toledo, which calculates the results.
The first four spots are occupied by 1SHS, 4SHS, Gulhaye, and THEHELP, respectively.
Jennifer Hoel, a teacher at Springfield High School in Holland, teaches 1SHS, 4SHS, and THEHELP. Although each of the Springfield teams’ portfolios grew more than 3.5 percent in Week 9, none managed more than 2 percent growth last week. Each of the teams owns a stake in Best Buy Co. Inc., which decreased by about 12 percent last week.
“They are hoping right now that they’ve made enough gain to last them through the next couple of weeks for the competition,” Ms. Hoel said. “We’ve been watching Best Buy this week, and they didn’t have quite the gains they made the week before.”
The Saint Rose team believed its portfolio would carry it through the competition, and that logic is paying off, said Anne Brahier, who teaches the seventh-grade girls in her math class. There is a chance the team could be a dark horse for the close of the competition, she added.
“Their strategy was they were going well at the midway point so they decided to stick with their stocks rather than switch out,” she said. “Their strategy of persevering with their original choices has been a good lesson in terms of reality of how to make money in the stock market.”
Standings after Week 10 of The Blade Student Stock Contest, with team name, school, and portfolio amount. Each team started with a mythical $40,000:
Rank, Team, School, City, Current Week
1, 1SHS, Springfield High, Holland, $48,779.50
2, 4SHS, Springfield High, Holland, $48,595.95
3, Gulhaye, Bowling Green High, $47,995.45
4, THEHELP, Springfield High, Holland, $46,139.57
5, Pirates, Maritime Academy of Toledo, $45,973.00
6, HASBULL, Pike Delta York Middle, Delta, $45,687.26
7, KaChing, Oak Harbor Middle School, $45,218.23
8, Chicas, Saint Rose, Perrysburg, $45,104.09
9, Clay.99, Clay High, Oregon, $44,581.56
10, Sclywag, Maritime Academy of Toledo, $44,395.77
11, JD2T, Springfield High, Holland, $44,381.63
12, Phoenix, Bowling Green Christian Academy, $44,267.44
13, ChChing, Fallen Timbers Middle School, Whitehouse, $44,233.53
14, Fishmth, Maritime Academy of Toledo, $44,196.53
15, Tacvuli, Rossford Junior High, $44,158.01
16, tropics, Saint John The Baptist, Toledo, $44,069.52
17, calairs, Saint John The Baptist, Toledo, $43,952.09
18, BGHS72, Bowling Green High, $43,936.06
19, 5SHS, Springfield High, Holland, $43,903.71
20, LIGERS, West Side Montessori, Toledo, $43,868.47
21, ATMS, Byrnedale Elementary, Toledo, $43,757.16
22, Clay1, Clay High, Oregon, $43,742.20
23, ZACOPS2, Bowling Green Christian Academy, $43,652.55
24, butterz, West Side Montessori, Toledo, $43,636.43
25, crusher, Saint John The Baptist, Toledo, $43,585.46
26, McNugtz, Rossford Junior High, $43,583.62
27, Kajiger, Dundee (Mich.) High, $43,566.80
28, Team123, Dundee (Mich.) High, $43,530.18
29, Umizomi, Fostoria Jr./Sr. High, Fostoria, $43,514.46
30, jleader, Bowling Green High, $43,369.97
31, Zizzles, Bowling Green High, $43,208.43
32, CashFlo, All Saints Catholic School, Rossford, $43,196.49
33, ONIFC, Dundee (Mich.) High, $43,143.05
34, tmJACOB, West Side Montessori, Toledo, $43,043.77
35, SABIBAS, Rossford Junior High, $42,963.99
36, G Unit, Whiteford Agricultural, Ottawa Lake, $42,870.46
37, gecko, Saint John The Baptist, Toledo, $42,840.60
38, Quibble, Whiteford Agricultural, Ottawa Lake, $42,706.82
39, Winners, Bowling Green High, $42,547.57
40, TheWall, Bowling Green Middle, $42,526.17
41, Kakier, Bowling Green High, $42,481.80
42, AnteUp, Fallen Timbers Middle School, Whitehouse, $42,480.64
43, 2SHS, Springfield High, Holland, $42,474.38
44, NARNIA9, Springfield High, Holland, $42,462.08
45, Heat, Fostoria Jr./Sr. High, Fostoria, $42,421.43
46, 3SHS, Springfield High, Holland, $42,399.03
47, Bears, Bowling Green Middle, $42,316.61
48, CLAYed7, Clay High, Oregon, $42,108.65
49, FatCash, Dundee (Mich.) High, $42,045.77
50, GABAJ, All Saints Catholic School, Rossford, $42,025.22
51, LHSTG78, L Hollingworth School for the Talented & Gifted, Toledo, $41,976.20
52, squirls, Saint Rose, Perrysburg, $41,960.03
53, Nickpet, Bowling Green High, $41,930.09
54, LHSTG6, L Hollingworth School for the Talented & Gifted, Toledo, $41,920.85
55, Pokadot, St. Pius X, Toledo, $41,860.72
56, unicorn, Bowling Green High, $41,848.80
57, Legit, St. Pius X, Toledo, $41,779.20
58, Clay_8, Clay High, Oregon, $41,716.67
59, Hot Fuz, Fostoria Jr./Sr. High, Fostoria, $41,690.14
60, Clayhs2, Clay High, Oregon, $41,683.05
61, Pro LSP, Saint Rose, Perrysburg, $41,636.09
62, Maybee, Dundee (Mich.) High, $41,586.61
63, tpteam, Saint John The Baptist, Toledo, $41,565.83
64, BIZNESS, Anthony Wayne Jr., Whitehouse, $41,563.30
65, Bankbr2, Byrnedale Elementary, Toledo, $41,562.18
66, CRZB, Dundee (Mich.) High, $41,523.18
67, RMDC, Patrick Henry Middle, Hamler, $41,500.52
68, WHOSPM, Springfield High, Holland, $41,426.42
69, 5jmlllz, West Side Montessori, Toledo, $41,400.23
70, bops127, Arbor Hills Jr., Sylvania, $41,300.86
71, MoneyMe, Park Elementary Swanton, Swanton, $41,248.50
72, lucky21, Arbor Hills Jr., Sylvania, $41,221.44
73, BrickSq, Bowling Green High, $41,217.78
74, CashMe6, Oak Harbor Middle School, $41,178.21
75, Moolah, Anthony Wayne Jr., Whitehouse, $41,090.56
76, Stocker, Park Elementary Swanton, Swanton, $41,056.15
77, Preptar, Dundee (Mich.) High, $41,054.90
78, Catbobs, Bowling Green High, $41,046.22
79, Potter, Dundee (Mich.) High, $41,036.18
80, Blank, Bowling Green High, $40,880.59
81, Cemerso, Bowling Green High, $40,875.06
82, Kaleb, Bowling Green High, $40,808.64
83, morgan, Bowling Green Middle, $40,725.76
84, HOBIE, Dundee (Mich.) High, $40,705.24
85, BGHS1, Bowling Green High, $40,520.30
86, MDMM, Byrnedale Elementary, Toledo, $40,512.58
87, Fisher, Bowling Green High, $40,488.21
88, Briar, Briar Middle, Sandusky, $40,377.17
89, Pancake, Dundee (Mich.) High, $40,304.08
90, sailors, Maritime Academy of Toledo, $40,148.91
91, Hogwild, Dundee (Mich.) High, $40,114.89
92, 5PSNPOD, Arbor Hills Jr., Sylvania, $40,032.88
93, jmorgan, Bowling Green Middle, $39,968.27
94, CBDCKK, Dundee (Mich.) High, $39,922.82
95, Lottery, Fallen Timbers Middle School, Whitehouse, $39,859.28
96, NoSwag, Rossford Junior High, $39,805.15
97, KRABAPS, Rossford Junior High, $39,552.54
98, MX3, Park Elementary Swanton, Swanton, $39,528.86
99, BIGboat, Maritime Academy of Toledo, $39,522.49
100, sfsCash, St. Francis de Sales, Toledo, $39,468.13
101, TEAMSHS, Springfield High, Holland, $39,461.50
102, Kwame54, Saint Rose, Perrysburg, $39,456.31
103, Bulls, Bowling Green Middle, $39,396.41
104, Cashbag, Anthony Wayne Jr., Whitehouse, $39,357.93
105, Copeski, Bowling Green High, $39,344.60
106, CashCow, Anthony Wayne Jr., Whitehouse, $39,256.53
107, SnrGrls, Whiteford Agricultural, Ottawa Lake, $39,208.63
108, Gulible, Dundee (Mich.) High, $39,137.80
109, Golden6, Oak Harbor Middle School, $39,062.71
110, BGHS2, Bowling Green High, $39,007.33
111, BLUCHIP, Oak Harbor Middle School, $38,999.23
112, CHSseis, Clay High, Oregon, $38,865.40
113, ADMBP1, West Side Montessori, Toledo, $38,119.89
114, Gambrel, Bowling Green High, $37,687.85
115, Redmen, Fostoria Jr./Sr. High, Fostoria, $36,279.88
Contact Kris Turner at: kturner@theblade.com or 419-724-6103.