This year marked the 21st annual Stock Market Challenge at Lakefield College School, an exciting event that brought together over 44 participants from various classes. Each participant began with a virtual $100,000 on January 22, 2024, and actively traded on major international exchanges, including Canada, until the simulation concluded on April 19, 2024.
The competition featured three divisions:
Grade 11 Pre-AP Microeconomics class
Grade 12 Analyzing Current Economic Issues class
Grade 12 AP Microeconomics class
Each division had its own top performers, with an overall winner selected from all participants.
To provide some context, consider that a Guaranteed Investment Certificate (GIC), a stable and safe investment, typically yields a 4% return per annum, or about 1% over the duration of our competition. Similarly, the S&P TSX Composite Index Fund would have returned only 1.43% during this period. However, our stock market simulation attempts to mimic real trading conditions, allowing those who master the system to achieve remarkable returns.
The standout performer in our competition achieved an astounding return of 265.31% over the 14-week period. If this return were averaged over 53 weeks for annual comparison, it would equate to an extraordinary 1081.64%. To put this into perspective, while a GIC might turn a $1,000 investment into $1,040 in one year, our overall winner's strategy could potentially transform $1,000 into $10,000.
Congratulations to the top finishers in each class!
Grade 12 AP Microeconomics:
3rd Place: Liam ’24, with a return of 0.73% from 15 trades.
2nd Place: Thomas ’24, achieving a return of 21.10% with 5 trades.
1st Place: Jason ’24, with the fewest trades among the top finishers, earned a return of 27.48%.
Grade 11 Pre-AP Economics:
3rd Place: Ben ’25, making 109 trades and securing a return of 22.13%.
2nd Place: Alex ’25, with a return of 25.27% from 27 trades.
1st Place: Daisy ’25, who made 83 trades and achieved a return of 49.08%.
Grade 12 Analyzing Current Economic Issues:
3rd Place: Darla ’24, with a return of 4.4% from 22 trades.
2nd Place: Xavier ’24, achieving an impressive return of 11.19% with 16 trades.
1st Place: Oliver ’24, not only leading his class but also emerging as the top performer overall for the second consecutive year. With 29 trades, Oliver achieved a phenomenal return of 265.31%.
A special shout-out goes to Henry ’26, aka "Muddy Waters," a non-economics student who placed 2nd overall last year and again this year, making 10 trades and earning a return of 72.56%.
Congratulations to all our participants for their outstanding efforts and achievements in this year’s Stock Market Challenge. Your skills, strategy, and enthusiasm made this event a tremendous success.
We look forward to seeing more impressive performances in the future!