A team from Bermuda High School has jumped to the top of the KPMG Investment Challenge leaderboard.

The “Business.brains” team improved the value of its virtual stock portfolio by 2.6 per cent in December, to $104,135.

With the US stock market dropping for most of the month, the team’s achievement was all the more noteworthy; the other teams in the investment challenge suffered declines.

A buy-up deal for a pharmaceutical company that was among the Business.brains’ portfolio picks boosted the team’s profit.

There are 20 school teams competing in the challenge, and each has been given an imaginary $100,000 to invest in the stock market over a six-month period. At the end of the contest, the top teams will win cash prizes for their school.

Business.brains was previously fifth until climbing to first in the December standings. Alexis Lodge and Jada Davis jointly lead the six-strong team, although all members contribute to the investment decisions.

The team has based some choices on seasonal demand. Alexis said: “When Christmas comes up, we try to get products that have to do with Christmas. For Black Friday, we invested in Foot Locker because it was in high demand.”

Jada said the seasonal choices meant looking at businesses involved in turkeys and hams at Thanksgiving, and for Christmas those that sell children’s products and sneakers. She said this is the first time the team has taken part in the investment challenge. At school they all study business, and some also study economics.

The Royal Gazette asked each member what they gained from taking part in the challenge. Alexis said: “In the future, this will help us plan and teach us the importance of money and how valuable it is.

Jada replied: “This experience will broaden my horizons in the business and economics industry. My goal is to expand my knowledge of the stock market.”

Yvé Smith called it a great experience, and added: “It is tying into our business studies in class and helping us to make real-life connections and tied to the real world.”

Saraé Botelho, said: “We learn teamwork and time management and how stocks work.”

While Netanya Eve replied: “Most of us are learning business and economics. So it allows us to apply the stuff we are learning in class to the real world and what we are doing in that.”

The sixth member of the team, Jerzi Trott-Riley, was unable to attend the interview.

In second position in the December standings is StockClimbers, of Warwick Academy, with a portfolio worth $101,517. In joint third place are IMA Investing and IMPACT Group, both from Impact Mentoring, with portfolios worth $100,345.

Previous leaders Kirkwood Capital, of Saltus Grammar School, slipped to eleventh position. You can read an interview with the team at https://tinyurl.com/y7xb9xmg