Competition Learning Materials
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Teacher and Student Resources
The Wharton Global High School Investment Competition is an opportunity for students to learn about the world of investing, while also building analytical, teamwork and communication skills. We have created a comprehensive lesson plan curriculum for teachers and advisors to guide students through different phases of the competition. Additionally, individual student resource pages help teams explore competition concepts and topics in a basic and informative way. These resources are available here to all advisors and competitors to support your competition experience.
Competition Learning Materials for Teachers
Teacher Guide
Refer to this Guide for details about how to use this curriculum and a specific curriculum map laying out each lesson plan.
Wharton Global High School Investment Competition Curriculum
This curriculum is designed for teachers and advisors who are guiding student teams through the Wharton Global High School Investment Competition. It starts with a competition overview, then introduces students to basic concepts in investing with a specific focus on stocks (the only investment type allowed in competition portfolios), and ends with basic research and analysis strategies to help competitors make informed investment decisions. This curriculum is designed to equip students with enough knowledge and skills to stay engaged with the investment competition and learn from the experience.
Note to teachers
Teachers and advisors are not required to use any part of this curriculum while competing. The Wharton Global High School Investment Competition is a free opportunity for students around the world to learn about investing and actually experience the stock market through a simulation. The competition engages all levels of learners, from students who are totally new to these concepts, to others who have more advanced knowledge. You should consider using this curriculum in a way that best fits your students’ needs. Possibly, you will instead select a sampling of lessons that support your classroom resources and introduce new concepts at an appropriate level for your students. Or, you may choose to follow the entire curriculum sequentially, from beginning to end. The choice is yours.
Lesson Plans
Unit 1 – Competition Skills
Competition Basics [Updated July 2024]
Client Case Study [Updated July 2024]
Finding Your Creative Voice [Updated July 2024]
Developing a Strategy [Updated July 2024]
The Investing Elevator Pitch [Updated July 2024]
Unit 2 – Introduction to Investing
What Is an Investment [Updated July 2024]
Stocks [Updated July 2024]
Understanding ETFs [Updated July 2024]
Risk and Diversity [Updated July 2024]
Building an Investment Portfolio [Updated July 2024]
Portfolio Management [Updated July 2024]
Socially Responsible Investing [Updated July 2024]
Investing and ESG [Updated July 2024]
Unit 3 – Research and Analysis
Research Strategies for New Investors [Updated July 2024]
SWOT Analysis [Updated August 2024]
Introduction to Industry Analysis [Updated July 2024]
Balance Sheet [Updated August 2024]
Income Statement [Updated July 2024]
Statement of Cash Flows [Updated July 2024]
Ratios [Updated July 2024]
Competition Learning Materials for Students
Investment 101 [Updated August 2024]
Finding Your Creative Voice [Updated August 2024]
Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis [Updated August 2024]
Risk and Return [Updated August 2024]
Investing with Purpose [Updated August 2024]
Building and Managing Your Portfolio [Updated August 2024]
Analyzing the Client Case Study [Updated August 2024]
Developing an Investment Strategy [Updated August 2024]
Macroeconomics in Strategy and Stock Selection [Updated August 2024]
Wharton Global Youth Investing Workshops
The Wharton Global Youth Investing Workshop series includes seven 30-to-60-minute videos featuring lessons on key investing concepts. This Zoom-based workshop series, taught by Wharton MBA Anomitra Banerjee, was first offered to high school students in our summer programs and is now available for a broader audience, including our Wharton Global High School Investment Competition teams.
In these videos, students can explore the basics of investing, portfolio management, risk diversification, how to evaluate financial statements, and more. Whether you’re new to the world of investing or interested in more advanced concepts like ESG, the Investing Workshops are a valuable source of financial education during the Investment Competition. We encourage you to use these learning tools as you work to build a winning investment strategy!
Note: Exploring the Wharton Global Youth Investing Workshops is not a competition requirement.
Meet Your Instructor: Anomitra Banerjee
Anomitra Banerjee is a recent MBA graduate of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, where he pursued a double major in Finance and Strategic Management, winning multiple academic accolades through his time there. Prior to Wharton, Anomitra earned a Post-Graduate Diploma in Liberal Studies from Ashoka University and a Bachelor of Engineering with Honors in Mechanical Engineering from BITS Pilani, where he graduated Magna Cum Laude and was recognized as a BITS Global 30 Under 30 honoree.
Anomitra started his career with McKinsey and Parthenon where he spent a couple of years before spending the next 4 years investing in early and growth stage startups across Southeast Asia and the US with The Times Group. In addition to his professional accomplishments, Anomitra has been the curator for the Global Shapers Community of the World Economic Forum, an advisor for UNDP Cambodia, and a passionate equestrian and pianist.
Investing Workshop 1: The Madness of Markets
Wharton MBA Anomitra Banerjee introduces how investing works for beginner investors.
Investing Workshop 2: Investing Strategies
Wharton MBA Anomitra Banerjee introduces different investing strategies for beginner investors.
Investing Workshop 3: Financial Statement Analysis
Wharton MBA Anomitra Banerjee covers how to analyze financial statements for beginner investors.
Investing Workshop 4: Technical Analysis
Wharton MBA Anomitra Banerjee introduces technical analysis for beginner investors.
Investing Workshop 5: Managing Risk in Your Portfolio
Wharton MBA Anomitra Banerjee covers ways to manage risk in your investment portfolio.
Investing Workshop 6: Behavioral Finance
Wharton MBA Anomitra Banerjee introduces the psychology of investing and concepts in the field of behavioral finance.
Investing Workshop 7: Portfolio Management
Wharton MBA Anomitra Banerjee introduces how to manage your portfolio using key metrics and data.
Meet the Experts Webinar Series
Learning has always been the fundamental objective of the Wharton Global High School Investment Competition. We are excited to provide our competitors with additional opportunities to explore business and finance beyond the actual strategizing, analyzing and stock market engagement.
Meet the Experts is a series of video conversations featuring finance and business experts who are often connected to the Wharton School in some way. While these interviews — created specifically for the Investment Competition — are not designed to give student teams a competitive advantage, they are a great way to learn from today’s professionals about emerging and thought-provoking finance themes, like gender-lens investing, fintech, global markets, and more.
Complement all your great learning from the competition by joining us live or on-demand for a Meet the Experts conversation. If you join us live, you’ll get the chance to ask questions during the Q&A portion of the discussion. Access to the live webinars is exclusively available to competing students and advisors. Student team leaders and teacher-advisors are encouraged to build these learning opportunities into your competition experience and use the webinars as a way to invite industry leaders virtually into the classroom.
Note: Participation in the Meet the Experts webinars is not a competition requirement.
In this year’s Meet the Experts webinar, Global Chief Investment Officer at Wisdom Tree Jeremy Schwartz (W’03) explains all there is to know about Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs). Mr. Schwartz explains some of the reasons people might buy ETFs rather than other securities, some advantages and limits of purchasing ETFs, and how to choose the right ETFs for your portfolio. The Wharton Global High School Investment Competition, run by the Wharton Global Youth Program at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, introduced a new ETF-investment requirement in 2023-2024.
Watch the 2022-2023 series below:
Annie Chen
Junior, the Wharton School, Co-President of the Wharton Investment and Trading Club (WITC)
Andrew Marin
Junior, the Wharton School, Co-President of the Wharton Investment and Trading Club (WITC)
Date: Tuesday, November 29, 2022
Title: Going Deep on Research with the Wharton Investment & Trading Club
Annie and Andrew's Full Bios
Annie Chen is a junior at the Wharton School at The University of Pennsylvania studying finance and behavioral economics. She has interned at Morgan Stanley as an Investment Banking Sophomore Summer Analyst in the Global Power and Utilities Group, and FACT Capital, a concentrated global long-short equity hedge fund. Next summer, she will be joining PJT Partners’ Restructuring and Special Situations Group in New York.
Andrew Marin is a junior at the Wharton School at The University of Pennsylvania in the Management &
Technology Dual-Degree program studying Finance and Computer Science. Andrew has interned at Brinley Partners, a private credit fund in New York, and next summer will be joining Houlihan Lokey’s Financial Restructuring Group in New York.
Watch the 2021-2022 series below:
Collin Roberts
Senior, Maclay School, 2020 Global Investment Competition Co-Champion
Madeleine Roberts
Sophomore, University of Chicago, 2020 Global Investment Competition Co-Champion
Date: Tuesday, October 12, 2021
Title: Lessons from the Investment Competition and Applying Your New Knowledge to Life After High School
Collin and Madeleine's Full Bios
Collin Roberts is a senior at Maclay School in Tallahassee, Florida, where he co-founded the school’s investment club his freshman year. He enjoys participating in business and ethics case competitions, as well as public forum debate. Collin has been named a Coolidge Senator by the Calvin Coolidge Presidential Foundation, an honor given to the top 100 seniors who are committed to public policy, uncommon academic depth, and service to others. He has been interviewed by The New York Times for his opinions about youth investing and continues to pursue ways to engage his peers in financial literacy.
Collin competed in the Wharton Global High School Investment Competition for two years, and both years his team placed at the global level. In his second year, Collin served as team captain and guided the team to a co-first-place finish globally and first place in Region 3 (North America). His areas of interest are innovative strategy development and the research and analysis of stocks.
Madeleine Roberts is a second year at the University of Chicago pursuing a double major in quantum engineering and physics with a minor in creative writing. She has published research on modern monetary theory and is currently focused on applications of quantum cryptography as well as developing experimental optics that use quantum imaging to view individual biomolecules. Madeleine is also exploring ways of bringing quantum technologies to the commercial market. She enjoys cycling and swimming and recently competed in the Chicago Triathlon.
Madeleine is a two-year participant in the Wharton Global High School Investment Competition, finishing both years as a global finalist. Under her leadership as team captain the first year of competition, her team finished in 2nd place in Region 3 (North America) and 3rd place at the global finals. In her second year, she contributed core creative ideas that helped secure a first-place global finish and first place in Region 3. Her special area of interest during the competition focused on using creativity and innovation to highlight the team’s strategy, both in written reports and in-person presentations to judges.
Katherine Klein
Professor of Management, the Wharton School, Vice-Dean, Wharton Social Impact Initiative
Date: Tuesday, October 19, 2021
Title: Sustainable Investing
Katherine's Full Bio
Katherine Klein is the Edward H. Bowman Professor of Management at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. She received her B.A. from Yale University and her Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin. Prior to coming to Wharton, Katherine was on the faculty of the University of Maryland and a visiting professor at the Stanford Graduate School of Business.
An award-winning organizational psychologist, Katherine has conducted extensive field research regarding a range of topics including team leadership, climate, conflict, social networks and effectiveness; organizational change and technology implementation; employee diversity; and employee responses to stock ownership and stock options. She has taught executive education, studied, and consulted with a variety of for-profit and non-profit organizations including Charles Schwab, Rohm and Haas, North American Scientific, Medtronic, The Baltimore Shock Trauma Center, Penn Vet, the U.S. Census Bureau, and the Korean Management Association.
Her research has been published in numerous top journals including Administrative Science Quarterly, Journal of Applied Psychology, the Academy of Management Journal, and the Academy of Management Review. A former associate editor of the Journal of Applied Psychology, she is currently an associate editor of Administrative Science Quarterly. Katherine is a Fellow of the Academy of Management, the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, the American Psychological Association, and the Association for Psychological Science.
Katherine’s current research interests include race in organizations; leadership succession and social network change; and Rwanda’s reconciliation and reconstruction following the 1994 genocide.
Michael Roberts
Professor of Finance, the Wharton School
Date: Tuesday, October 26, 2021
Title: Let’s Get Personal…About Finance
Michael's Full Bio
Michael R. Roberts is the William H. Lawrence Professor of Finance at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, a Research Associate of the National Bureau of Economic Research, and an affiliate of the Institute for Law and Economics and the Wharton Financial Institutions Center at the University of Pennsylvania. He also founded and heads the Wharton Financial Analytics initiative.
Professor Roberts’ research spans corporate finance, banking, and asset pricing. Recent work has examined equity pricing anomalies, collateralized loan obligation (CLO) performance, and the effect of interest rates on bank lending. His research has received several awards including two Brattle Prizes for Distinguished Paper published in the Journal of Finance, a Jensen Prize for best paper on Corporate Finance and Organizations published in the Journal of Financial Economics, and Best Paper awards from the Financial Management Association, Southwestern Finance Association, and Rodney L. White Center for Financial Research. Professor Roberts has served on numerous journal editorial boards, including the Journal of Finance of which he was a co-editor.
In addition to his research, Professor Roberts is an acclaimed teacher. At the Wharton School, his accolades include the David W. Hauk Award and half a dozen additional teaching awards at the undergraduate and MBA levels. While at Duke University, he won the Daimler-Chrysler Core Teaching Award at the Fuqua School of Business. He has taught undergraduate, M.B.A., Ph.D., and executive education courses in Finance, Economics, Statistics, and Data Analytics. Outside of academia, Professor Roberts has worked as a financial engineer and consultant, providing services to many financial and non-financial corporations as well as expert testimony in corporate legal matters.
Professor Roberts earned his B.A. in Economics from the University of California at San Diego, and his M.A. in Statistics and Ph.D. in Economics from the University of California at Berkeley.
Itay Goldstein
Professor of Economics, Coordinator of PhD Program, the Wharton School
Date: Tuesday, November 9, 2021
Time: 4:00 – 4:30 p.m. EDT
Topic: The Economy & Stock Market
Itay's Full Bio
Itay Goldstein is the Joel S. Ehrenkranz Family Professor and a Professor of Finance at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He has been on the faculty of the Wharton School since 2004.
He serves as the coordinator of the Ph.D. program in Finance and holds a secondary appointment as a Professor of Economics. Professor Goldstein earned his Ph.D. in Economics in 2001 from Tel Aviv University. He is an expert in the areas of corporate finance, financial institutions, and financial markets, focusing on financial fragility and crises and on the feedback effects between firms and financial markets. His research has been published in top academic journals, including the American Economic Review, the Journal of Finance, the Journal of Financial Economics, the Review of Economic Studies, and the Review of Financial Studies. His research has also been featured in the popular press in the Economist, Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, Bloomberg, Forbes, National Public Radio, and others.
Professor Goldstein is the Executive Editor of the Review of Financial Studies since 2018. Before that, he served there as an editor for five years. He also served as an editor of the Finance Department in Management Science and an editor of the Journal of Financial Intermediation. Professor Goldstein is a Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research. He served as an academic advisor in various policy institutions, including the Federal Reserve Banks of New York, Philadelphia, and Richmond, the Bank of Canada, the Bank for International Settlements, and the Committee for Capital Markets Regulation. He was the co-founder and the first president of the Finance Theory Group and served as a director of the American Finance Association, the Western Finance Association, and the Financial Intermediation Research Society. He is a frequent speaker in academic and policy forums around the world, and acted as keynote speaker in leading academic conferences.
He has taught various undergraduate, M.B.A., Ph.D., and executive education courses in finance and economics. Prior to joining Wharton, Professor Goldstein has served on the faculty of Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business. He had also worked in the research department of the bank of Israel.