A student from El Dorado East Secondary School has emerged as the winner of the T&T Securities and Exchange Commission’s ‘Investing Competition,’ walking away with TT$10,000 in mutual funds.
As part of its ‘Invest. Grow. Learn.’ initiative, student competitors were given TT$30,000 in virtual currency in a stock market simulator to invest over an eight-week period.
The competition encouraged students to buy and sell securities on the virtual platform to grow their investment portfolios.
In the end, Form Six student Alario Andalcio, from El Dorado East Secondary School, secured first place after achieving an impressive 296% gain — growing his portfolio from TT$30,000 to nearly TT$120,000.
Topping the leaderboard with the highest virtual profit earned him a prize of TT$10,000 in real mutual funds.
He said, “The simulation we engaged with was more than just a game; it was quite a dynamic and practical experience that helped me understand the world of investing in a way that no textbook ever could.”
Chief Executive Officer of the TTSEC, Kester Guy, said the competition represented a stimulating blend of education and finance, created to give students valuable financial knowledge and practical investing skills.
“This simulated platform allows for a rich experience of learning and fun, building on the principles that they have learnt and allowing them to exercise the knowledge gained in growing their portfolio.”
TTSEC’s Manager of Corporate Communications and Education, Ellen Lewis, said following the competition, it was clear that there is a strong appetite and interest among the public in learning about investing.
“Students were able to trade in 22 securities: 12 stocks, five bonds and five mutual funds. All trades were tracked daily, and the leaderboard displayed real-time results. The leaderboard was visible to all participants, which allowed them to track the performance of their fellow competitors. The top three students with the highest profits and who adhered to the competition rules would be declared winners.”
The second-place winner in the competition was Sixth Form student Sydney Look-Fong from Naparima Girls’ High School, earning $5,000 in mutual funds.
The third-place winner was Alario’s brother, Antonio Andalcio, also from El Dorado East Secondary School. He earned a prize of $3,000 in mutual funds.