What would you do with one million dollars? If your answer would be to invest it, then the Suffolk University/TD Ameritrade Capital Markets Trading Competition may be perfect for you. The annual intercollegiate competition gives teams of three to four people the chance to invest a million dollars as part of a two week stock market simulation. The event will be hosted by Suffolk University‘s Finance Department and Center for Business Complexity and Global Leadership, and TD Ameritrade.
On October 31, this year’s competition launched with a training for all teams in TD Ameritrade’s online trading platform thinkorswim. The teams then invested $1 million in the market on November 1, the official launch date of this year’s competition. They have until the close of business on November 15 to make as much money as possible. The judging, award ceremony, and reception/Investor Summit will be held after the close of business on the 15th.
The teams must also submit a description of their investment strategy and material they would use to present their strategy. Certain teams will be selected to present on November 15 as part of the judging. The judges will evaluate both the net value of a team’s portfolio and the team’s strategy to choose the winning teams.
There are restrictions on the investments that teams can choose. Teams are only allowed to invest in stocks, futures, and options. OCTBB/Pink Sheets, penny stocks, and F/X trading are not allowed. Also, no single cash or security can represent more than 20% of a team’s total investments. Teams receive a warning the first time they break these rules, and a $10,000 penalty will be applied for every time they break the rules after. The gains from any illegal trades will also be removed from teams’ accounts.