2008 JSE / Liberty Investment Challenge begins: Fund managers face annual challenge from ghost traders

Investment professionals are under threat – not only from volatile markets, but from competition by school-going ghost traders and university students that enter the JSE/Liberty Life Investment Challenge.

The call for entries has now gone out in the annual contest to create the best-performing virtual portfolio between March and September.

The Challenge is split into two competitions – one for high schools; one for universities. Competing teams assemble a notional online portfolio and engage in virtual trades to see what value they can add to virtual starting capital of R1 million.

There is a R60 000 prize fund in the University Challenge while schools compete for monthly cash prizes and final prizes that reward team members, schools and mentors.

Howard Fox (pictured right), Divisional Director for Marketing at Liberty Life: “Education is a key focus area for our corporate social investment and we have special interest in initiatives that promote financial literacy and encourage potential recruits to our industry.

“Last year, every university was represented while the schools entry topped the 344 mark. This year, we expect especially interesting trading patterns and value-creation strategies in view of more volatile market conditions.”

§ The Challenge is linked to an Adopt-a-School initiative to enable the participation of schools in disadvantaged communities. Last year, 34 sponsors enabled the participation of 185 adopted schools.