BLADE STOCK CONTEST: WEEK 6

Elementary students take over top spot in stock contest

Minions not afraidof high-school teams

4/8/2014
BY CHIP TOWNS
BLADE BUSINESS WRITER
  • Blade-School-Stock-Contest-2014-with-sponsors


    • The Minions are facing a double challenge: trying to figure out how the stock market works, and battling against groups of older, larger creatures.

    But these aren’t the Minions from the Despicable Me movie franchise.

    These Minions are a team of four fifth graders at Park Elementary School in Swanton. And the older, larger creatures are high school and middle school students from throughout the area who, like the Minions, are competing in The Blade School Stock Contest.

    So far, so good for the Minions.

    They are in first place after six weeks of the 12-week contest. Their four-stock portfolio grew 6.6 percent last week, by far the biggest gain among the 158 teams.

    “They are over-the-top excited,” said Jenny Schmidt, who teaches the Minions and four other teams at Park Elementary. “They are very proud that they are competing against high schoolers.”

    Ms. Schmidt thinks her students have learned a lot through the contest.

    “It’s my way of introducing my kids to stocks. The majority had no idea what the stock market was, but they slowly are getting a better grasp of what it’s all about.”

    ADTR from Springfield High School fell to second place. Clay8, from Clay High School, fell from second to third.

    The Minions have climbed from 27th place in Week 2 to sixth, fifth, fourth, and now first.

    Each of the 158 teams from the Toledo area was given a fictive $40,000 to split evenly among four stocks that were selling for at least $5 a share when the contest started in February.

    At the end of the 12-week contest, the team whose portfolio has grown the most will be the winner.

    The winning team will get $250 for the students and $250 for the school. The second-place team will receive $250 for the school, and third place gets $100 for the school. Prizes may be cash or gift certificates.

    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.

    Three of the stocks owned by Minions — Apple Inc., Dick’s Sporting Goods Inc., and Tesla Motors — have risen modestly, between 1 percent and 5 percent. But Emerge Energy Services LP (EMES) has skyrocketed from $45.04 a share on Feb. 21 to $72.41 when the stock markets closed on Friday. That’s a 62.2 percent improvement in six weeks.

    Emerge Energy is an oil and gas equipment services company.

    Ms. Schmidt said that before the contest started, she gave her students a list of Web links to “a whole bunch” of analysts’ articles about various stocks.

    She said the students went to each one to figure out what stocks they wanted.

    The Minions noticed several experts referred to EMES as an up-and-comer.

    Will one hot stock carry a team for the next six weeks?

    Ronald Belle, senior vice president and investment advisers division executive at Fifth Third Bank in Toledo, cautions that it is important for long-term investors to have a diversified portfolio.

    “However, six weeks is not a long-time horizon. And, recent company news along with analysts’ comments make me think that Minions has a shot of staying at the top if the trend of this stock continues.”

    At the end of last week, teams had a one-time chance to trade in one or more of their stocks for a different stock.

    Minions chose to stick with the stocks they had.

    “We’re not touching anything,” Ms. Schmidt quoted them as saying.

    Second-place ADTR also stuck with its four stocks. But third-place Clay8 traded in two of its stocks.

    “We won’t know for a couple of weeks if teams made the right choice to stick with their original four stocks or make changes,” Mr. Belle said. “Research and analysis can help to educate and predict a stocks movement, but it’s never a crystal ball into the future. Research can tell us one thing, performance can do something different. However, good research is generally accurate over time.”

    Contact Chip Towns at: ctowns@theblade.com or 419-724-6194.

     

    Standings after Week 6 of The Blade School Stock Contest, with rank, team name, school, and portfolio total. Teams started with a mythical $40,000:

    • 1. Minions, Park Elementary, Swanton, $46,820.92
    • 2. ADTR, Springfield High School, Holland, $45,294.57
    • 3. Clay8, Clay High, Oregon, $44,545.34
    • 4. CHASE06, Chase STEM Academy, Toledo, $44,106.87
    • 5. GGnoRE, Saint Rose, Perrysburg, $43,898.98
    • 6. AWGB8, Anthony Wayne High, Whitehouse, $43,748.88
    • 7. CHASE08, Chase STEM Academy, Toledo, $43,668.22
    • 8. ZZEBRAZ, Saint Rose, Perrysburg, $42,760.55
    • 9. mariner, Maritime Academy of Toledo, $42,544.15
    • 10. Chiefs, Fostoria Jr./Sr. High, Fostoria, $42,517.39
    • 11. Mitch5. Bowling Green High, $42,415.49
    • 12. magicb, Bowling Green High, $42,366.27
    • 13. CashFlo, Rossford Jr. High, $42,251.34
    • 14. stockbo, Bowling Green High, $42,036.02
    • 15. moneymm, Bowling Green High, $42,032.46
    • 16. DA BEAN, Rossford Jr. High, $41,990.94
    • 17. Trex, Fostoria Jr./Sr. High, Fostoria, $41,988.53
    • 18. 8LHSTG, L. Hollingworth School for the Talented and Gifted, Toledo, $41,969.25
    • 19. bobKATS, Bowling Green High, $41,902.83
    • 20. Team BG, Bowling Green High, $41,898.39
    • 21. TTuttle, L. Hollingworth School for the Talented and Gifted, Fostoria, $41,852.79
    • 22. MVCDSRK, Maumee Valley Country Day School, Toledo, $41,813.10
    • 23. 6Loserz, Rossford Jr. High, $41,806.63
    • 24. Seahors, Maritime Academy of Toledo, $41,734.29
    • 25. MOMA, Byrnedale Elementary, Toledo, $41,699.63
    • 26. GOLD, Springfield High School, Holland, $41,678.15
    • 27. addsubs, West Side Montessori, Toledo, $41,408.12
    • 28. SHS1, Springfield High School, Holland, $41,300.24
    • 29. SAGET22, Park Elementary, Swanton, $41,275.65
    • 30. magicw, Bowling Green High, $41,262.45
    • 31. 7NINJAS, Rossford Jr. High, $41,261.06
    • 32. Dogs101, Park Elementary, Swanton, $41,137.32
    • 33. Boats, Maritime Academy of Toledo, $41,097.18
    • 34. FoStock, Fostoria Jr./Sr. High, Fostoria, $41,077.23
    • 35. CoolCat, Dundee (Mich.) High, $41,039.53
    • 36. SPOOOON, Dundee (Mich.) High, $41,026.96
    • 37. purpleg, Saint John the Baptist, Toledo, $41,004.81
    • 38. MVCDSLI, Maumee Valley Country Day School, Toledo, $40,992.90
    • 39. 136627, Springfield High School, Holland, $40,988.35
    • 40. Bucs, Maritime Academy of Toledo, $40,957.24
    • 41. CLAY6, Clay High, Oregon, $40,948.94
    • 42. JJRAP, Springfield High School, Holland, $40,942.41
    • 43. BigDawg, Dundee (Mich.) High, $40,824.05
    • 44. FA4th, Franciscan Academy, Sylvania, $40,759.54
    • 45. one, Bowling Green High, $40,719.83
    • 46. HEYAA, Springfield High School, Holland, $40,697.64
    • 47. 6GRocks, L. Hollingworth School for the Talented and Gifted, Toledo, $40,697.00
    • 48. CashFO5, Springfield High School, Holland, $40,644.71
    • 49. Turnt, Springfield High School, Holland, $40,560.11
    • 50. 5Shards, Bowling Green High, $40,557.09
    • 51. Bowties, Park Elementary, Swanton, $40,526.81
    • 52. Shnozes, Rossford Jr. High, $40,484.50
    • 53. TurnUhh, Springfield High School, Holland, $40,425.81
    • 54. WeezMan, Dundee (Mich.) High, $40,424.00
    • 55. MCMM, Byrnedale Elementary, Toledo, $40,407.50
    • 56. BSBIS, Springfield High School, Holland, $40,355.88
    • 57. jlas, West Side Montessori, Toledo, $40,352.43
    • 58. SHS386, Springfield High School, Holland, $40,345.26
    • 59. Nikki, Bowling Green High, $40,267.08
    • 60. 4Saints, Springfield High School, Holland, $40,210.92
    • 61. Risk101, Rossford Jr. High, $40,199.92
    • 62. Flamngo, Bowling Green High, $40,194.92
    • 63. MVCDSJS, Maumee Valley Country Day School, Toledo, $40,131.82
    • 64. ganar, Bowling Green High, $40,102.64
    • 65. FA6th, Franciscan Academy, Sylvania, $40,080.17
    • 66. FISH, Springfield High School, Holland, $39,983.57
    • 67. AvenG3r, Dundee (Mich.) High, $39,947.57
    • 68. PAYROLL, Byrnedale Elementary, Toledo, $39,945.97
    • 69. HASHTAG, All Saints Catholic School, Rossford, $39,846.18
    • 70. Clay500, Clay High, Oregon, $39,845.35
    • 71. kingsto, Bowling Green High, $39,827.59
    • 72. THEMOB, Springfield High School, Holland, $39,809.48
    • 73. MeGusta, Bowling Green High, $39,781.54
    • 74. THEM, Springfield High School, Holland, $39,691.74
    • 75. WOLFSqd, Springfield High School, Holland, $39,689.57
    • 76. BG Lexi, Bowling Green High, $39,626.85
    • 77. kahbobs, West Side Montessori, Toledo, $39,591.01
    • 78. 7LHSTG, L. Hollingworth School for the Talented and Gifted, Toledo, $39,559.20
    • 79. TeamAce, Springfield High School, Holland, $39,553.25
    • 80. MVCDSNI, Maumee Valley Country Day School, Toledo, $39,543.04
    • 81. take, Bowling Green High, $39,525.50
    • 82. AWGB7, Anthony Wayne High, Whitehouse, $39,511.48
    • 83. ClayHON, Clay High, Oregon, $39,445.75
    • 84. nfl1314, Bowling Green High, $39,430.38
    • 85. NPGTOWN, North Point Educational Service Center, Graytown, $39,427.66
    • 86. gr8stok, Notre Dame Academy, Toledo, $39,402.69
    • 87. Bagels, Springfield High School, Holland, $39,373.30
    • 88. FA5thR, Franciscan Academy, Sylvania, $39,275.83
    • 89. BaZinga, Pike Delta York Middle School, Delta, $39,275.25
    • 90. mightyt, Bowling Green High, $39,244.13
    • 91. Giraffe, Bowling Green High, $39,214.68
    • 92. TOMFORD, Springfield High School, Holland, $39,162.24
    • 93. Scalywg, Maritime Academy of Toledo, $39,098.11
    • 94. BG Emma, Bowling Green High, $39,084.07
    • 95. FA8th, Franciscan Academy, Sylvania, $39,001.41
    • 96. MVCDSZB, Maumee Valley Country Day School, Toledo, $38,984.77
    • 97. mrToms, West Side Montessori, Toledo, $38,977.79
    • 98. FA5thL, Franciscan Academy, Sylvania, $38,961.38
    • 99. swag, Bowling Green High, $38,899.06
    • 100. CatFish, Saint Rose, Perrysburg, $38,873.47
    • 101. VolleGs, Notre Dame Academy, Toledo, $38,862.70
    • 102. BGWolvs, Bowling Green High, $38,851.28
    • 103. SAP, SAP, Graytown, $38,793.35
    • 104. CCC, Dundee (Mich.) High, $38,791.79
    • 105. magconb, Saint John the Baptist, Toledo, $38,733.40
    • 106. teampic, Saint John the Baptist, Toledo, $38,721.20
    • 107. Legit 6, Rossford Jr. High, $38,679.61
    • 108. VIPER, Springfield High School, Holland, $38,635.97
    • 109. slushie, West Side Montessori, Toledo, $38,621.90
    • 110. MVCDSJA, Maumee Valley Country Day School, Toledo, $38,590.70
    • 111. Redmenz, Fostoria Jr./Sr. High, Fostoria, $38,549.02
    • 112. Pistach, Dundee (Mich.) High, $38,514.28
    • 113. betty, Bowling Green High, $38,485.02
    • 114. linda, Bowling Green High, $38,479.47
    • 115. Rugrats, Springfield High School, Holland, $38,445.11
    • 116. cosmic, Dundee (Mich.) High, $38,371.67
    • 117. MVCDSTF, Maumee Valley Country Day School, Toledo, $38,206.78
    • 118. Pirates, Maritime Academy of Toledo, $38,064.86
    • 119. Manatee, Saint Rose, Perrysburg, $38,022.34
    • 120. Karats, Fallen Timbers Middle School, Whitehouse, $37,969.37
    • 121. FA7th, Franciscan Academy, Sylvania, $37,920.38
    • 122. Destroy, Dundee (Mich.) High, $37,879.28
    • 123. 5LOCOS, Springfield High School, Holland, $37,860.46
    • 124. PEMDAS7, All Saints Catholic School, Rossford, $37,823.04
    • 125. BetaMax, Dundee (Mich.) High, $37,750.01
    • 126. Clay1, Clay High, Oregon, $37,744.19
    • 127. thejerk, Saint John the Baptist, Toledo, $37,651.20
    • 128. bobcat1, Bowling Green High, $37,603.36
    • 129. Sauce, Dundee (Mich.) High, $37,567.38
    • 130. munchie, West Side Montessori, Toledo, $37,468.63
    • 131. 2fast4u, Park Elementary, Swanton, $37,356.96
    • 132. Jackpot, Springfield High School, Holland, $37,331.50
    • 133. MVCDSZS, Maumee Valley Country Day School, Toledo, $37,295.91
    • 134. SHS2, Springfield High School, Holland, $37,290.75
    • 135. BUCKETS, Springfield High School, Holland, $37,210.69
    • 136. johnsto, Bowling Green High, $37,028.84
    • 137. TBPN, Springfield High School, Holland, $36,946.81
    • 138. wolves, Bowling Green High, $36,859.14
    • 139. GROUP6, Springfield High School, Holland, $36,853.60
    • 140. OICU812, Fallen Timbers Middle School, Whitehouse, $36,678.10
    • 141. PlumBum, Fallen Timbers Middle School, Whitehouse, $36,649.46
    • 142. CTDM1, Springfield High School, Holland, $36,453.32
    • 143. votefor, Saint John the Baptist, Toledo, $36,377.10
    • 144. HOBIE, Dundee (Mich.) High, $36,339.79
    • 145. teamnah, Saint John the Baptist, Toledo, $36,261.91
    • 146. k3cs, Bowling Green High, $36,211.85
    • 147. Welky, Rossford Jr. High, $36,142.78
    • 148. AWGB5, Anthony Wayne High, Whitehouse, $36,117.82
    • 149. THEMILS, Byrnedale Elementary, Toledo, $36,031.84
    • 150. IT, Springfield High School, Holland, $36,027.22
    • 151. STOCKRS, Springfield High School, Holland, $35,648.51
    • 152. saints, Bowling Green High, $35,572.16
    • 153. CHASE05, Chase STEM Academy, Toledo, $35,476.44
    • 154. CHASE07, Chase STEM Academy, Toledo, $34,894.04
    • 155. NATAS, Springfield High School, Holland, $34,837.43
    • 156. Clay333, Clay High, Oregon, $34,754.74
    • 157. TNR03, Springfield High School, Holland, $33,398.15
    • 158. HOBIE 2, Dundee (Mich.) High, $31,922.77