Annual Investment Competition Offers Hands-On Finance Lessons
![Aaron Stern is congratulated by President Jones. Photo by Amelia Rehrman '26.](/images/Investment_Competition_winner_2024.jpg")
At the concluding ceremony, competition winner Aaron Stern '25 was congratulated and presented his award by President John E. Jones III '77, P'11. Photo by Amelia Rehrman ’26.
Students from across the academic spectrum went head to head in the 10-week showdown, with 84 students entering the fray
The 2024 Dickinson Investment Competition, hosted by the Burgess Institute for the Global Economy and the Department of International Business & Management, concluded its 10-week run recently, highlighting an impressive display of financial acumen and strategic trading among 84 contestants from diverse academic backgrounds across the college.
Here's a closer look at the winner and some highlights from the event, which featured each competitor working with $1 million in virtual money and cash prizes to the top five finishers:
The Winner: Aaron Stern '25
Aaron Stern '25 (computer science) emerged as the victor of the competition, rising to the top of a field that saw seven lead changes. He achieved a total holding period return (HPR) of 102.4%. His winning strategy was characterized by an event-driven approach, leveraging indexes, equities and commodities futures. Stern aligned his trades with earning releases, mergers-and-acquisition talks and macroeconomic events, and he experimented with cryptocurrency trading post-election, adding a speculative edge to his portfolio.
“This competition let me experiment with various investment strategies in a low-pressure setting and apply classroom concepts to real-world scenarios," says Stern. "Tracking global events and seeing how broader trends affect U.S. markets helped me appreciate the bigger economic picture, and it enriched my Dickinson education, encouraging practical problem-solving, critical thinking and confidence in navigating complex economic landscapes.”
Competition Overview
This year's competition saw an unprecedented level of participation with 84 contestants, a 50% increase from the previous year. Over the 10-week period, covering 53 trading days, contestants executed a total of 4,030 trades, a 67% increase from last year's figures.
The competition was set in real-time trading simulations, allowing for a comprehensive and intense environment in which participants could engage in various financial instruments, including equities, fixed-income securities, derivatives and cryptocurrencies.
After the competition, insights were shared by Nick DellaVecchia ’16 (international business & management), a research analyst at Point72 Asset Management, who emphasized the significance of innovative strategies and the key qualities needed for success in today's market.
Notable Strategies & Highlights From the Runners-up
2nd Place (HPR: 95.4%): Nicholas Clark ’25 (international business & management, Italian) focused on index futures and high equity returns from companies like Salesforce, Nvidia and Palantir.
3rd Place (HPR: 91.3%): Jack Engel ’27 (undeclared) capitalized on the Q3 earnings season, making significant gains from stocks like Oracle, Apple, Tesla and Snowflake.
4th Place (HPR: 87.6%): Alexander Kanard ’25 (quantitative economics, mathematics) took advantage of the energy sector with future bets and Tesla options, achieving a 310% gain.
5th place (HPR: 39.3%): Imyeong Alice Park ’25 (quantitative economics, Spanish) diversified her portfolio, with a notable gain from the Grayscale Bitcoin ETF.
Broad Participant Engagement
Providing a platform for learning, networking and gaining insights from an industry professional, the competition attracted students from various majors: international business & management, quantitative economics, economics, data analytics, law & policy, political science, computer science, mathematics, art and history.
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Published December 10, 2024