Wharton Global High School
Investment Competition

Registration for the 2026-2027 Competition will open on August 10.

Congratulations to the 2026 Global Champions, FigCapital from Stuyvesant High School, New York! Read the Global Finale wrap-up HERE.

The Wharton Global High School Investment Competition is a free, experiential investment challenge for high school students (9th to 12th grade) and teachers. Students work in teams of four to six, guided by a teacher from their school as their advisor, and have access to an online stock market simulator. Together, they learn about strategy-building, teamwork, communication, risk, diversification, company and industry analysis, and many other aspects of investing.

Rules & Roles

FAQs

Important Dates

2026-2027 Key Dates	We will continue to post additional dates throughout the summer.
August 10	Registration opens
September 11	Registration closes; all student team account must be created (5:00 p.m. ET)
September 15	Student team leader will receive an invitation to SurveyMonkey Apply; competition details and instructions released to registered teams
September 28	Competition begins; first day of trading
November 6	Deliverable: Investment Policy Statement (IPS) must be submitted as instructed (5:00 p.m. ET)
December 4	Deliverable: Final report and school documentation must be submitted as instructed (5:00 p.m. ET)
TBD	Semifinalists (top 50 teams) announced
TBD	Virtual Semifinals
April 29 & 30	Learning Day & Global Finale at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia

About the Competition

Each year, teams are introduced to a new case study featuring a Wharton School alum. While the client is real, the financial scenario is developed specifically for the competition. Using the client’s background, financial goals, and their own research, teams develop a long-term investment strategy designed to help the client achieve their objectives.

Throughout the competition, teams use two online platforms. SurveyMonkey Apply serves as the competition hub, where teams receive the annual case study, competition updates, instructions, and resources; submit required deliverables; and communicate with the competition organizers. Teams also use the Wharton Investment Simulator (WInS) to implement their investment strategy by building and managing a portfolio using virtual cash to buy and sell approved securities.

As they research financial markets, industries, companies, and investment opportunities, teams analyze information, evaluate risk, and make strategic investment decisions. Teams must complete two major deliverables: an Investment Policy Statement (IPS), which establishes their long-term investment strategy, and a Comprehensive Final Report, which explains and supports their recommendations. Detailed competition materials, including the client case study, trading requirements, deliverable instructions, and other competition information, will be shared with registered teams via SurveyMonkey Apply on September 15, 2026.

Unlike other investment competitions, success is not determined by portfolio performance. Teams are evaluated on the quality of their investment strategy, how well it aligns with their client’s objectives, the strength of their research and analysis, and their ability to clearly communicate and defend their recommendations.

Following the submission of final reports, a panel of judges selects 50 semifinalist teams. Those teams are invited to present their investment strategies during the virtual Semifinals. The top 10 teams advance to the Global Finale at the Wharton School in Philadelphia, where they compete for the title of Global Champion.

Academic Director: Professor Michael Roberts

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 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. 

A person holding a microphone speaks at a podium, possibly during a presentation or conference, with a Wharton Global Youth Program banner in the background.

Why Join the Competition?

It’s run by the Wharton School, a world leader in business education.
You get to explore the exciting world of securities and strategies.
You learn about risk, diversification, company and industry analysis, and more investing basics.
You develop teamwork, leadership and communication skills.
You enhance your college and scholarship applications by building your résumé.
You have a chance to compete against teams from around the world.
You learn finance skills that will last a lifetime.
It’s free and fun!