2026-2027 Competition Details Updated!
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Wharton Global High School Investment Competition
The Wharton Global Youth Investment Competition is an annual contest where high school students work in teams to develop investment strategies for a simulated client. The competition promotes critical financial literacy skills and culminates in regional and global finals, where top teams present their strategies to Wharton judges.
Competition Overview
High school students worldwide
Eligibility
Free
Entry Fee
September 11, 2026
Registration Deadline
September 28 - December 6, 2026
Trading Timeline
TBD
Semifinalists Announcement
April 29 & 30, 2027
Global Finale
Competition Details
1. Eligibility
High school students grades 9-12 (aged 14-18) from the same school and branch, with a designated team leader aged 16+.
Home-schooled students may also compete if they request approval and can provide proof of homeschooling if they reach the semifinals.
Participants must not have earned a high school diploma before the competition starts, and children of UPenn faculty are eligible as long as their parent isn’t a competition judge.
2. Competition Introduction
In the Wharton Investment Competition, teams analyze a case study about a real client’s investment goals, using a stock list, ETFs, U.S. Treasury Bonds, and the Wharton Investment Simulator (WInS) to build a $500,000 virtual portfolio. Over 10 weeks, students develop and justify a strategy, submitting two deliverables. Success depends on the quality of their strategies rather than portfolio growth.
Judges select 50 semifinalists to present at a virtual event, with the top 10 advancing to the Global Finale at Wharton. The Wharton Investment Competition saw impressive participation in 2024, with 1,818 teams from 66 countries, including 10,118 students and 1,276 advisors.
3. Competition Dates
- 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
4. Prizes
- Participation Badges and Certificates: All students on teams meeting the competition deliverables will receive participation badges. Semifinalists and global finalists will receive special certificates to recognize their achievements.
- Prizes for Global Champion Team: Each student from the winning team will be awarded a spot in one of Wharton’s online summer programs: Future of the Business World, Essentials of Leadership, Moneyball Academy: Training Camp FLEX, or Moneyball Academy: Training Camp.
- Prizes for Global Finalist Teams: Each student from the 10 global finalist teams will have the course fee waived for Wharton’s online course, Understanding Your Money.
- Global Champion School Privilege: The school of the global champion team will be allowed to fast-track one team to the Semifinals of the 2026-2027 competition, provided they meet all deliverable requirements.
Rules
1. Team Members and Advisor
From the start of the competition, each team must have at least 4 to 6 members. Students are not allowed to participate on more than one team.
Teams are also required to have one advisor, who must be a teacher/educator at the high school of their team.
2. Trading Rules
In the Wharton Investment Competition, all trading must occur on the Wharton Investment Simulator (WInS). Key rules include:
- Each team starts with $500,000 in virtual cash and shares one WInS account (same username/password for all members).
- The trading period runs from September 28 to December 5, 2026.
- To remain eligible for Semifinals/Global Finale, teams must complete at least one trade by October 10, 2026 (4:00 p.m. ET).
- WInS operates during U.S. market hours (9:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m. ET), but you may place orders anytime; after-hours U.S. equity trades execute at the next market open.
- Real-time pricing is used for trade execution, but open positions display with a 10–15 minute delay.
- International equities/bonds have longer delays—orders clear at the end of the next trading day. Currency conversions are automatic.
- Teams may make up to 200 trades; each buy/sell counts as one trade.
- Commissions: $25 per stock trade, $10 per treasury bond (charged only when a trade clears).
- Students may trade up to twice a stock’s daily volume.
- No sector diversification requirement, but diversification across sectors, industries, market caps, and geographies is strongly encouraged.
Approved securities include:
- Cash
- Any stock priced at $5+ on any exchange
- ETFs from the Approved ETF List (must include at least one ETF in your portfolio)
- Treasury bonds from the Approved Treasury List (optional)
Students outside the U.S. should consider time zone differences, but the competition emphasizes long-term strategy, not day trading.
Class Recommendation
Prepare to compete at the highest level