Energy stocks that had pushed them to the top took a tumble last week, but even so, the students of Team BG managed to retain first place after five weeks of The Blade's 2011 School Stock Contest.
Team BG, a group of juniors and seniors in an economics class at Bowling Green High School, saw its imaginary portfolio of four stocks slip 3 percent to $44,028 at the end of last week. The portfolio of the LOL team, from Hicksv ille Elementary school, fell 2.5 percent to $42,887, but the team still moved up a notch to second place last week.
Moving into third was a newcomer, the Big Black Marketers, a team of 11 students from Fostoria Junior High who parlayed four retail-sector stocks into a 2 percent gain and a total of $42,565. "Retail is what they know the most about. That's exciting to do this well," said Chad Krukemyer, the team's teacher.
HOW THEY FARED
1. TEAM BG, Bowling Green High, $44,028.44.
2. LOL, Hicksville Elementary, $42,886.93
3. Big Black Marketers, Fostoria Jr., $42,565.01
4. Martian, Whiteford Agricultural, Ottawa Lake, $42,469.39
5. Masters, Whiteford Agricultural, Ottawa Lake, $42,160.57
6. JBNcrew, Anthony Wayne Jr., Whitehouse, $41,909.88
7. stocker, Christ the King, Toledo, $41,454.79
8. Bull Market, Horizons Program TPS, Toledo, $41,179.02
9. TEAM 3, Bowling Green High, $41,169.07
10. Won Tons, Sylvania Franciscan Academy, $41,132.42
11. Tweekz, Hicksville Middle, $41,126.15
12. BearInc, Hilfiker Elementary, Gibsonburg, $41,101.20
13. bucs, Maritime Academy of Toledo, $41,046.50
14. 4theWIN, Anthony Wayne Jr., Whitehouse, $40,996.11
15. DARE, Luckey Elementary, $40,992.01
16. PAY UP, Luckey Elementary, $40,706.94
17. MNBRPIG, Bowling Green High, $40,701.69
18. Dividend, Horizons Program TPS, Toledo, $40,674.96
19. breezy9, Whiteford Agricultural, Ottawa Lake, $40,665.18
20. GPSTARS, Luckey Elementary, $40,429.44
21. Fluffy6, Hicksville Middle, $40,384.89
22. Rockets, Park Elementary, Swanton, $40,328.50
23. Pirates, Maritime Academy of Toledo, $40,296.77
24. Hawks, Maumee Valley Country Day, Toledo, $40,280.63
25. Rebels, St. John the Baptist, Toledo, $40,271.60
26. DaATeam, St. Joan of Arc Catholic, Toledo, $40,245.27
27. Eagles 8, Clay High, Oregon, $40,241.63
28. MNYmart, Luckey Elementary, $40,167.03
29. Profit, Horizons Program TPS, Toledo, $40,041.70
30. 8bigbux, Holy Trinity, Swanton, $39,923.73
31. JAGUARS, Rossford Jr., $39,909.12
32. Chiefs1, East Broadway Middle, Toledo, $39,899.36
33. SUNNYD, Bowling Green High, $39,862.22
34. IKEmgkt, Eisenhower Middle, Oregon, $39,856.38
35. Spakes, St. Pius X, Toledo, $39,833.62
36. Hotcash, Christ the King, Toledo, $39,798.91
37. BGHS4, Bowling Green High, $39,795.92
38. Whitmer, Whitmer High, Toledo, $39,769.36
39. rougewaves, Maritime Academy of Toledo, $39,763.22
40. BizKidz, Hilfiker Elementary, Gibsonburg, $39,710.77
41. M3GUSTA, Rossford Jr., $39,706.36
42. eagles7, Holy Trinity, Swanton, $39,680.37
43. Random1, Rossford Jr., $39,655.41
44. MVClass, Christ the King, Toledo, $39,637.60
45. CakeMix, St. Pius X, Toledo, $39,553.43
46. Smurfs, Sylvania Franciscan Academy, $39,553.43
47. Octopus, Rossford Jr., $39,475.71
48. DeBombs, Hilfiker Elementary, Gibsonburg, $39,437.14
49. Biscuit, Anthony Wayne Jr., Whitehouse, $39,425.25
50. Monopotron, Fallen Timbers Middle, Whitehouse, $39,398.66
51. stockdr, St. Joan of Arc Catholic, Toledo, $39,293.33
52. cashflo, St. Joan of Arc Catholic, Toledo, $39,265.23
53. GetSome, Christ the King, Toledo, $39,247.57
54. Mariners, Maritime Academy of Toledo, $39,165.88
55. CAKE, Whiteford Agricultural, Ottawa Lake, $39,143.93
56. BGLions, Bowling Green Christian Academy, $39,114.92
57. Aces, Sylvania Franciscan Academy, $39,111.13
58. 5Helloz, Park Elementary, Swanton, $39,104.65
59. Cash11, North Point ESC, Genoa, $39,016.86
60. Stars, Park Elementary, Swanton, $38,999.28
61. STARZ, Fairfield Elementary, Maumee, $38,915.42
62. Ckooka Marketros, Fostoria Jr., $38,868.66
63. South Side, Fostoria Jr., $38,773.96
64. TheTop, Anthony Wayne Jr., Whitehouse, $38,773.38
65. WHTFSU, Whiteford Agricultural, Ottawa Lake, $38,759.92
66. BestofM, East Broadway Middle, Toledo, $38,663.94
67. R2D2S, Rossford Jr., $38,643.12
68. Swaggar, Sylvania Franciscan Academy, $38,640.31
69. King Marketers, Fostoria Jr., $38,564.76
70. Snoopy, Hicksville Elementary, $38,563.06
71. CODMW3, Bowling Green Christian Academy, $38,525.92
72. SPWWBVRVS, Fallen Timbers Middle, Whitehouse, $38,517.89
73. Dunbugz, Rossford Jr., $38,466.36
74. Schwabs, Rossford Jr., $38,451.26
75. KaXing, Pike Delta York Middle, Delta, $38,443.09
76. TeamPan, Whitmer High, Toledo, $38,332.28
77. ThugLyf, Bowling Green High, $38,326.75
78. DMStox, Pike Delta York Middle, Delta, $38,319.15
79. Team711, Park Elementary, Swanton, $38,304.09
80. ChuChng, Luckey Elementary, $38,259.15
81. Pickl3s, Bowling Green High, $38,219.80
82. STOCKER, Bowling Green High, $38,139.21
83. StoxRox, Pike Delta York Middle, Delta, $38,139.21
84. BIGBUCKS, Fallen Timbers Middle, Whitehouse, $38,063.31
85. YoMamma, Rossford Jr., $37,980.05
86. Dinaco, North Point ESC, Genoa, $37,878.87
87. Tw3ntys, North Point ESC, Genoa, $37,815.29
88. Team FSU, Whiteford Agricultural, Ottawa Lake, $37,801.16
89. BGCALP2, Bowling Green Christian Academy, $37,738.19
90. gotCASH, St. Joan of Arc Catholic, Toledo, $37,725.23
91. Eagles 3, Clay High, Oregon, $37,668.27
92. 8 Bills, Luckey Elementary, $37,513.87
93. TEAM JO, Bowling Green High, $37,510.81
94. BAGFED, North Point ESC, Genoa, $37,443.21
95. Ninjas, Rossford Jr., $37,381.33
96. Duenos, East Broadway Middle, Toledo, $37,364.18
97. Winnerz, Rossford Jr., $37,154.90
98. Loserz, Rossford Jr., $36,870.97
99. Schooners, Maritime Academy of Toledo, $36,703.85
100. SHAMWOW, Whiteford Agricultural, Ottawa Lake, $36,539.72
101. Comet 11, Genoa High, Genoa, $35,969.91
102. SALTY06, Rossford Jr., $35,487.31
103. BAMotos, Bowling Green High, $34,178.79
104. CarLOs, Bowling Green High, $34,037.67
105. Stockrz, Pike Delta York Middle, Delta, $33,250.43
106. BGHS72, Bowling Green High, $32,801.75
The team's four stocks are Polo Ralph Lauren, Starbucks Corp., Verizon Communications, and Nike Inc. The LOL team's portfolio contains AT&T Corp., Mips Technologies, Weight Watchers International, and Cointhian Colleges.
The prior week's second-place team, the Won Tons of Sylvania Franciscan Academy, dropped to 10th with a loss of 6.5 percent.
Team BG's strength continues to be its two energy stocks -- Sandridge Energy and Noble Corp. -- which are benefitting from unstable world events, said Steve Sherline, director of the regional investment advisers at Fifth Third Bank, a contest co-sponsor.
"The teams that are in oil and infrastructure-related stocks are continuing to win. Energy is a good strategy," said Mr. Sherline, who said he has been analyzing the markets' gyrations with Jason Wyse, a senior studying finance and economics at the University of Toledo.
"This Friday in Saudi Arabia is supposed to be a day of rage. I don't know if it will happen, but if there's a major disruption of oil in Saudi Arabia, you could have a $50-a-barrel increase in oil," Mr. Sherline said.
Also, the destruction in Japan could play a role this week in the market, affecting energy and infrastructure-related stocks. "Given that Japan is the world's third-largest economy, their pain could ... have economic waves. The market mostly shrugged it off. That's a very good sign," Mr. Sherline said.
Teacher Terry Mulgrew, who oversees Team BG's economics class, said risk and world events were built into the team's picks. The team's portfolio contains financial institutions Barclays PLC and Huntington Banchares Inc. in addition to its two energy stocks.
"We talked about what was going on in the world and decided to have two oil stocks when we discussed the six types of risk, including political risks," he said.
There are 107 teams from 30 schools in northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan competing in this year's contest, which also is co-sponsored by The Blade's Newspaper in Education program and UT, which is tabulating the results.
Just 29 teams remain in positive territory through five weeks of the 12-week contest. This week, each team can change any or all of their stocks for the remainder of the contest. The contest began at the market's close Feb. 4 and will end at market's close on April 29. Each team selected four stocks, worth at least $5 a share, to make up a hypothetical $40,000 portfolio. The investment initially is divided evenly among the four choices.
The team whose portfolio grows the most by the end of the contest wins $250 for the school and $250 for the team. Second place receives $250 for the school, and third place gets $100 for the school.
