Quarterback's hunch on stock helps BGHS team take lead
3/16/2010A high school quarterback made a strategic call five weeks ago, and his effort has landed his team from Bowling Green High School atop the standings of The Blade's 2010 School Stock Contest.
With the 12-week contest reaching the midway point this Friday - before which teams can change any or all of their stock picks - the BGHS4 team moved to first at the end of last week from second the prior week with a portfolio gain of 4.5 percent. For the contest, its imaginary portfolio of four stocks is at $48,602, up 21.5 percent.
Dropping into second place is the Victory team from Lial Catholic School in Whitehouse, which led the two previous weeks. Its portfolio was at $47,790, down 0.3 percent for the week but up 19.5 percent for the contest.
Rocketing to third from 93rd last week was the YoYoDog team from Montpelier Junior-Senior High, based on a stock split and some tasty earnings guidance from a hamburger chain.
The YoYoDog's portfolio was $47,732, up 19.6 percent for the week and 19.3 percent for the contest.
Matt Faltys, a vice president at Fifth Third Bank, which is a contest co-sponsor and tabulates the results, said, "The big gainer was a stock dividend by Aeropostale. That No. 3 team was way, way back, but a stock split tends to push the stock forward."
Aeropostale Inc. had a 3-for-2 stock split, which gave any team with that stock more shares, and thus higher value of its hypothetical portfolio. But the YoYoDogs also had Sonic Corp. drive-in restaurants, which was up 21 percent for the week after it released its upbeat profit forecast, Mr. Faltys said. The team's other two stocks are Apple Inc. and Google Inc.
Ron Nickey, a Bowling Green high school teacher who supervises the BGHS4 team, which is made up of 17 high schoolers from the Practical Money Skills class, said the team's portfolio has benefited from a fairly unknown stock: Baidu Inc., which has risen by 23 percent since the contest began in early February.
Baidu, which is China's version of the Google search engine, was suggested by senior Nick Miller, who is Bowling Green's high school quarterback, Mr. Nickey said.
"There was word that China was having problems with Google and might get rid of it. ... Nick Miller researched it and thought it was a good idea to go with it," Mr. Nickey said. "He's a pretty sharp kid."
The leader's portfolio also includes Harley-Davidson, up 19 percent for the contest; Las Vegas Sands Hotels, up 25 percent, and computer network provider Juniper Networks, up 20 percent.
The contest is co-sponsored by The Blade's Newspaper in Education program. A total of 98 teams from 33 schools across northwest Ohio are competing, and each team chose a portfolio of four stocks trading for at least $3 a share. A hypothetical $40,000 was divided evenly among the stocks.
The winner is the portfolio with the biggest gains at the contest's end on April 30. The winner receives $250 for the school and $250 for the team. The school of the second-place team gets $250; the third place school, $100.
Mr. Faltys said that so far, every team can be proud because all are in the black for the second time in the contest. "I don't remember in years past that that was ever the case," Mr. Faltys said.
Contact Jon Chavez at:
jchavez@theblade.com
or 419-724-6128.
Here's the latest standings in the contest, with team name, school, and portfolio value:
1. BGHS 4, Bowling Green H.S., $48,602.34
2. Victory, Lial, Whitehouse, $47,789.53
3. YoYoDog, Montpelier Jr./Sr. H.S., $47,731.62
4. SJJA7, St. John's Jesuit Academy, Toledo, $47,251.36
5. BosBros, Rossford J.H., $47,054.53
6. NY$E, Fallen Timbers M.S., Whitehouse, $46,981.70
7. $MAKER$, St. Joan of Arc, Toledo, $46,651.80
8. wegots$, St. Joan of Arc, Toledo, $46,232.29
9. $ KINGS, Fairfield Elem, Maumee, $46,057.66
10. HRZNS-T, Horizons Program TPS, Toledo, $46,013.15
11. Bluezer, Stryker Elem, $45,874.39
12. FROG777, Bowling Green Christian Academy, $45,721.83
13. BGBulls, Bowling Green H.S., $45,667.93
14. BGSUPER, Bowling Green H.S., $45,644.60
15. Ninjas, Montpelier Jr./Sr. H.S., $45,626.07
16. jacktar, Maritime Academy, Toledo, $45,580.72
17. TaylorD, Bowling Green H.S., $45,490.35
18. Werglum, Bowling Green H.S., $45,459.14
19. THEjs, Rossford J.H., $45,386.27
20. ThePonz, Fostoria H.S., $45,359.61
21. Tweekk, Hickville M.S., $45,354.57
22. HRZNS-TH, Horizons Program TPS, Toledo, $45,353.63
23. BADTeam, Hickville M.S., $45,212.97
24. BnkBo$$, Anthony Wayne J.H., Whitehouse, $45,161.77
25. COCOA67, Bowling Green Christian Academy, $45,144.80
26. $Bulls, Luckey Elem., $45,132.17
27. :)G!rl$, Rossford J.H., $45,121.54
28. FEARUS!, Fallen Timbers M.S., Whitehouse, $45,026.26
29. Mariner, Maritime Academy, Toledo, $44,991.44
30. Winners, Bowling Green H.S., $44,926.60
31. ba$nk, Holy Trinity, Swanton, $44,924.75
32. Lgrange, LaGrange Elem, Toledo, $44,900.65
33. GALILEO, Whitmer H.S., Toledo, $44,853.78
34. $$!!$$, Rossford J.H., $44,797.95
35. HRZNS-W, Horizons Program TPS, Toledo, $44,790.49
36. GLEA, Great Lakes Environmental, Toledo, $44,747.82
37. Defonix, Clay H.S., Oregon, $44,727.25
38. Turtle$, Hilfiker Elem, Gibsonburg, $44,714.44
39. G33k$:), Rossford J.H., $44,692.78
40. Number1, Anthony Wayne J.H., Whitehouse, $44,619.58
41. $SMURF$, St. Joan of Arc, Toledo, $44,606.88
42. Dragons, North Point Educational Services Center, Genoa, $44,559.05
43. HRZNS-M, Horizons Program TPS, Toledo, $44,506.41
44. Eagles, Clay H.S., Oregon, $44,495.36
45. SJFROSH, St. John's Jesuit H.S., Toledo, $44,386.73
46. REBELS, St. John the Baptist, Toledo, $44,300.57
47. Skeeter, Montpelier Jr./Sr. H.S., $44,293.69
48. NOSTEMI, Bowling Green Christian Academy, $44,245.52
49. B-TEAM, Christ the King, Toledo, $44,224.49
50. 5Ninjas, Notre Dame Academy, Toledo, $44,217.53
51. NWOOD, Northwood M.S., $44,064.26
52. FostMS, Fostoria M.S., $44,029.77
53. $mile:), Luckey Elem., $44,011.64
54. KRKRPM, Rossford J.H., $43,942.87
55. SNOW, Rossford J.H., $43,942.87
56. $$Prize, Fallen Timbers M.S., Whitehouse, $43,933.19
57. Gamerz, North Point Educational Services Center, Genoa, $43,922.57
58. OldSalt, Maritime Academy, Toledo, $43,908.95
59. Bucs, Maritime Academy, Toledo, $43,905.77
60. $@berz, St. Pius X, Toledo, $43,886.91
61. EAGLES, Luckey Elem., $43,800.24
62. Kalypso, Clay H.S., Oregon, $43,776.21
63. DreamTM, Bowling Green H.S., $43,763.81
64. Knepps, Bowling Green H.S., $43,750.91
65. SJJA8, St. John's Jesuit Academy, Toledo, $43,744.01
66. $HKNBAK, Christ the King, Toledo, $43,658.12
67. A-Team, Sylvania Franciscan Academy, $43,645.28
68. BGCATS1, Bowling Green H.S., $43,617.03
69. KashFlo, Anthony Wayne J.H., Whitehouse, $43,585.83
70. 3Cats, Bowling Green H.S., $43,563.65
71. BGHS2, Bowling Green H.S., $43,513.92
72. Domin8, Montpelier Jr./Sr. H.S., $43,479.11
73. Monkey$, Luckey Elem., $43,404.78
74. BGHS72, Bowling Green H.S., $43,400.81
75. HRZNS-F, Horizons Program TPS, Toledo, $43,375.95
76. $Money$, Hilfiker Elem, Gibsonburg, $43,350.83
77. Poketar, Lial, Whitehouse, $43,322.73
78. gotca$h, St. Joan of Arc, Toledo, $43,255.16
79. Mr.Andd, Sylvania Franciscan Academy, $43,166.57
80. BROKERS, Bowling Green H.S., $43,156.54
81. LEGIT$, Rossford J.H., $42,996.13
82. caustic, North Point Educational Services Center, Genoa, $42,948.21
83. Eagle$, Notre Dame Academy, Toledo, $42,895.71
84. 3v@r+$$, Hilfiker Elem, Gibsonburg, $42,706.48
85. Global, Lial, Whitehouse, $42,603.00
86. PANFANS, Stryker Elem, $42,333.63
87, Pirates, Maritime Academy, Toledo, $42,244.17
88. NOTHING, Rossford J.H., $42,240.83
89. LEAV$eM, Luckey Elem., $42,222.02
90. TeamTag, Hilfiker Elem, Gibsonburg, $41,860.68
91. WOLFPAK, Rossford J.H., $41,807.65
92. $$AW$$, Anthony Wayne J.H., Whitehouse, $41,652.13
93. Coeds, Bowling Green H.S., $41,613.84
94. We-Four, Sylvania Franciscan Academy, $41,437.66
95. Ace2015, Hickville M.S., $41,081.79
96. Eagles7, Holy Trinity, Swanton, $41,065.78
97. Ca$hCow, Sylvania Franciscan Academy, $41,046.88
98. LMMCTPS, LaGrange Elem, Toledo, $40,829.88