Students in the Finance Club meet weekly to discuss stocks, evaluate their worth, and predict their future performance as part of the ETF Global Portfolio Challenge.

The ETF Global Portfolio Challenge is a worldwide simulated investment competition designed to educate college students about portfolio management and provide insights into the factors affecting the market.

“It’s all about learning, trading, and fundamentals,” said accounting and finance major Gerard Zukoski (currently ranked #2). “We’re looking at the news, charts, stocks, and predict what the market will be like for the week ahead.”

Students make informed trading decisions in the competition by utilizing financial market analysis platforms such as Finviz and TradingView. These trading tools provide real-time information on the current and past performance trends of the stock market.

“Professor Steven Barber is the genius behind this,” said Zukoski. “During the first week or two into classes, Barber basically said, ‘Alright, we’re doing this challenge, and the challenge is to outperform the market and everyone else in the world.’”

Barber’s guidance of the Finance Club has fostered impactful discussions among its members, guiding them toward success in the global competition. During meetings, Barber asks students what stocks they’re interested in adding to their weekly portfolios and helps them dissect the performance alongside the class before they make their decisions.

“It’s competitive, fun, and risky — things I like in business.”
Janiya June

“It’s competitive, fun, and risky — things I like in business,” said finance major Janiya June (currently ranked #10). “It puts my academics and schoolwork into a real-life scenario.”

The competition began on September 18 and ends December 1, 2023. The global rankings leaderboard is updated weekly each Monday to display the top 10 best-performing students from all around the globe.

Joseph Delprete has also achieved a spot in the top ten this week, securing the #4 ranking.

“Those who finish the challenge within the top 25 are invited to the Exchange Traded Products (ETP) Forum in New York City, where you can meet financial professionals,” said finance major Nicolas Van Wie (currently ranked #1). “It’s a huge networking opportunity.”

Attendees of the one-day conference explore topics within the finance industry alongside experts in capital management and ETP products, financial advisement, asset management, endowments, foundations, and wealth management.

“This challenge alone could be the reason I get a job on Wallstreet,” said Zukoski. “I believe I can finish in the top 25.”