North Dakota Securities Department -- Stock Market Contest Winners

STATE STOCK MARKET GAME WINNERS ANNOUNCED 5/11/2010



Bismarck, ND - Students from Bismarck High School, Cheney Middle School of West Fargo, and Holy Family Elementary of Grand Forks have taken first place honors in North Dakota for the Spring 2010 Stock Market Game (SMG). The teams receiving second place honors went to Bismarck Century High School and Cathedral of the Holy Spirit in Bismarck. There were 1,292 teams and 2,569 students participating in this competition across the state. The goal of the competition is for a team of students to achieve the largest investment gain in their portfolio. During this competition, the largest portfolio gain was $86,000 by the team from Bismarck High School.

SMG is a free resource, coordinated and sponsored for North Dakota teachers and students in grades 4-12, by the North Dakota Securities Department's Investor Education division. The Stock Market Game was created by the Foundation for Investor Education, an affiliate of the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association, and is offered in all 50 states as well as foreign countries. North Dakota holds the distinction as the state with the largest number of students per capita playing the game.

The members of the winning team in the High School division were Dustin Dobbs, Marissa Faller, and Tyler Gaugler of Bismarck High School. Their teacher-advisor is Mike Skytland. Winning the Middle School division competition was Destiny Fitzpatrick and Austin Fraase of Cheney Middle School in West Fargo. Their teacher-advisor is Timothy Scully. And, winning the Elementary division competition from Holy Family Elementary in Grand Forks was Brendon Beich, Taylor Corbit and Ally Kvidt. Their teacher-advisor is Tim Langemo.

The Stock Market Game (SMG) is a ten-week or fifteen-week simulation of Wall Street trading that provides a framework for teaching students about the American economic system. "Offered in the fall and spring semesters, SMG is available through the Internet and is designed for classroom use as a tool to increase understanding of the stock market, the costs and benefits involved in economic decision-making, the sources and use of capital and other related economic concepts," said Diane Kambeitz, Coordinator of the North Dakota game.

SMG is an interdisciplinary teaching tool that allows teachers to create and direct learning in the classroom in a variety of disciplines. During the ten or fifteen-week session, student teams invest a hypothetical $100,000 in common stocks on the New York and American Stock Exchanges and the NASDAQ Stock Market. Teams enter their transactions and monitor daily their portfolios including trades, current holdings, brokerage fees, margin interest and team rankings. At the end of the simulation, the winning teams in the elementary, middle school and high school competitions achieving the largest investment gains are recognized.

"SMG is an opportunity for students to not only learn about the market and how it affects our economy, but also to think about preparing for their financial futures," stated Kambeitz.

For more information on The Stock Market Game, contact the North Dakota Securities Department at 1-800-297-5124 (local 328-2910) or visit the SMG website at www.stockmarketgame.org.







Additional Information

The North Dakota Securities Department regulates the offer and sale of securities and franchises in the State of North Dakota, and protects the investing public by enforcing compliance with our state's laws. The Department promotes public awareness of securities laws to prevent violations and to prevent investment fraud. The Department provides investor education programs for all ages to improve the level of financial literacy in our state.




Contact information:
North Dakota Securities Department
State Capitol, 5th Floor
600 East Boulevard Avenue
Bismarck, ND 58505-0510