Student investors win admirers at challenge

FOUR students at Hulme Grammar Schools competed in the final of the ifs (Institute of Financial Studies) Stock Market Challenge. Left to right, Ben Knightley, James Stott, teacher Paul Langdon, Jack Brierley, Varun Jain

A TALENTED team of business savvy students from Hulme Grammar School narrowly missed out on winning the 2016 UK Student Investor Challenge.

Students Jack Brierley, Varun Jain, Ben Knightly and James Stott, who were competing against seven other teams, performed exceptionally well in a tense final on April 27.

The budding investors impressed judges with their knowledge and understanding of financial investing, overcame a tough live-trading challenge in which they responded to market events, and delivered an outstanding presentation on the mining industry.

Throughout the competition the team, named ‘xX_$tockm@ster_Xx’, performed exceptionally well in all three rounds, having successfully increased two virtual portfolios on the stock market over a three-month period, before accurately predicting the rise and fall of stocks, shares and assets at the semi final stage.

To reach the final, they outperformed nearly 40,000 other students from across the UK.

Steph McGovern, BBC business journalist and presenter who was one of the competition’s four judges, said: “It is an incredibly difficult skill to be able to decipher complex information and present it in an informative and accessible way and ‘xX_$tockm@ster_Xx’ did exceptionally well.

“The level of research and analysis they demonstrated was superb.

“I know from my own experience the importance of taking part in competitions like the Student Investor and I hope they use the skills and experience they have gained throughout their careers.”

Teacher Paul Langdon, from Oldham Hulme Grammar School, said: “From their very first ‘trade’ in the Student Investor online challenge to their presentation in London at the finals, my students were enthralled with the cut and thrust and dynamic nature of the entire process.

“They picked up on skills that you simply cannot get from a text book or a class room.

“Oldham Hulme Grammar School may be geographically remote from the trading floors of the City but the success of our students proves that a good education removes many barriers that distance often puts up.”

The ifs Student Investor Challenge is the largest competition of its kind for schools in the UK and is run by financial education charity ifs University College.

The competition is designed to not only improve students’ understanding of investing and finance, but also to improve key employability skills such as researching, teamwork and confidence.

Alison Pask, Vice Principal of Financial Capability & Community Outreach, at ifs University College, said: “Each year the level of competition in the Student Investor Challenge gets higher and Jack, Varun, Ben and James can feel very proud of their achievements.

“They, and all of our finalists, should count themselves winners; they have all performed remarkably well and shown an understanding of the complexity of investing.

“They have also gained important skills for their later careers.”

For more information on the Student Investor Challenge, please visit: www.studentinvestor.org.