Teenager trader sweeps to stock success

9:00am Friday 4th July 2008

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A TEENAGE trader has made a five per cent stock market return in less than three weeks despite the FTSE plummeting.

Gayhurst School pupil, James McLeod, 13, beat over 200 peers who took part in the ADVFN schools' stock market challenge.

During the period of the competition the FTSE 100 lost nearly six per cent but James managed to gain £49.90 or five per cent on his portfolio, which was worth £1000 at the start of the challenge.

James's top earning stock picks were house cleaning services franchise MyHome and on-line gaming company 888.

More than 200 pupils from 12 schools took part in the fifth annual competition run by stocks and shares website ADVFN.

Each budding wheeler-dealer had a notional £1000 to invest in five UK listed shares and their individual performances were compared against fellow pupils and rival schools.

Clem Chambers, chief executive of ADVFN said: "The children have had some extremely challenging market conditions to contend with this year and will definitely have seen how difficult it can be to make money in the stock market.

"This competition serves as a great springboard for discussing and learning about other personal finance topics, which are often overlooked in schools."