Jim Fischer, Bisset Associate Professor of Finance, has announced the much anticipated results of the annual Bissett Stock Market Challenge:

The team of Varune Tillekeratne, Jamal Hussaini and Bidzina Mosiashvili has won the 2019-2020 Bissett Stock Market Competition with a stunning return of 78%.

The 14^th edition of the annual competition began in September 2019 and concluded March 31, 2020. This year 14 teams of three students each started the competition with $1,000,000 in virtual money. Through the use of a simulator, they traded in Canadian and US markets, with the ability to sell short and use options. This year was characterized by five months of trading in what would become the end of the longest bull market in history, followed by a month that witnessed the quickest decline into a bear market in history. The TSX Composite Index ended the same time period down 20%.

The winners claim a record of their own. They beat the market by the highest margin achieved by a team since the competition started in 2005. The previous record was made in 2009 by the team of Nicole Rumley, Owen Watson and Brandon Thomson. That team posted a return of 25% when the market indexes were down 35% over the same time period, reeling in the aftermath of the Global Financial Crisis.

The winners will be presented with the trophy for the competition at a future date, when university operations return to normal.

Bissett would like to congratulate the winners and all participants as well as extend a thank you to Jim Fischer for his continued mentorship of the students and the running of this competition; not only an impactful learning experience, but a rite of passage for many of our finance students!