Hartselle Junior High School students continue to demonstrate their skills at picking high-performing stocks in the Alabama Stock Market Contest.

They claimed fifth through ninth places among the top ten winners in the SMG ending Dec. 2. Blossomwood Elementary School in Madison was first place winner and Madison County Elementary School came in second.

Competing against 274 teams from throughout the North Region (grades 4-8), the fifth place team of Aladee Thompson and Ben Kimbrough finished the game with $110,628, only $1,391.29 behind the leading team.

Other winners from Hartselle Junior High are listed as follows: sixth, Grant Wallace and Thomas Bunney, $110,402.22; seventh, Parker Wright, $108,727.62; eighth, Rachel McKelvy and Carden Roden, $108,361.55; and ninth, Christopher Bartholomew, $107, 719.76.

Google stock was a big money maker for fifth, sixth and seventh place winners. Among other stocks contributing to their success were Costco and Windstream.

The Hartselle students are taught and advised by Gifted Specialist Elisa Harris who has had numerous teams finish in the top ten.

“The Stock Market Game provides real world experience with investing and allows students to make connections between investing and current events,” Harris stated.

More than 4,000 students in grades 4-12 from Muscle Shoals to Mobile bought and sold stocks over a 10-weeks period in a “virtual stock market,” earning 2,500 in cash and prizes.

The SMG is sponsored by Sterne Agee and is presented by the Alabama Council on Economic Education. Students began with $100,000 and purchased stocks and mutual funds and made trades with their available funds. The teams with the most valuable portfolios at the end of the contest are declared winners.

“Budget and financial uncertainties in Europe affected the performance on Wall Street throughout the fall,” observed SCEE Executive Director Johnnie Aycock.

“The SMG provided a wonderful opportunity for students to see the impact of current events on the market.”