Sharemarket Game news
Read the latest tips and updates for the Sharemarket Game
Despite the global uncertainty, our top performers managed to increase their portfolio value using a variety of strategies, which shows there’s definitely more than one way to win the Sharemarket game!
In this newsletter, we uncover the Game plan behind the victory of the three overall winners, the winner of the best university portfolio, the two top leagues and the most improved portfolio.
Have your say on the 2025 Game format
Position | Participant name | State | Final portfolio |
|---|---|---|---|
First | Max | NSW | $67,768.25 |
Second | The Gab | NSW | $63,966.67 |
Third | Freelander69 | NSW | $63,497.59 |
| Top university portfolio | Siyu J (Monash University) | VIC | $61,408.36 |
| Top league 10 or fewer members | Sir Dallas Brooks | VIC | $62,185.52 |
| Top league 11 or more members | BFF2701_T8 (Monash University) | VIC | $55,231.74 |
| Most improved for the month* | Charlotte | NSW | $47,502.76 |
The winner of the 2024 Sharemarket Game is John R, playing under the username Max. Hailing from NSW, John managed to nail down first place with an impressive portfolio worth $67,768.25. The win comes after top 100 finishes in his first three attempts.
John says he used a ‘set and forget’ strategy for the most part, with some tinkering at the edges of his portfolio. Overall, he described his approach to risk as “conservative”. His routine was to spend about an hour at the end of each day to check prices and make adjustments.
He bought four stocks at the beginning of the game – two IT companies, a real estate company and a large consumer discretionary stock – and “held them for the entire game apart from some fine tuning”.
The one big move John made – the call that he says “won me the game” – was to anticipate the market volatility that followed the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in July 2024.
“I was surprised the stock markets didn’t fall straight away so I decided to sell all stocks at a good price. The falls in the next week were extensive and I then rebought after the falls had finished,” says John.
His two tips for aspiring Sharemarket Game players? First, go with your gut instinct – and second, don’t be afraid to sell!
In second place was Paul G from NSW with $63,966.67, playing the game as The Gab. Paul had an interesting take on the Game – it was his first time playing, and he says he was not just interested in winning! Paul says that he ignored market volatility completely, and focused on his strategy: namely, to choose companies that appear to be poised for growth and then monitoring social trends that influence their price.
“I didn’t join the game to win, I joined the game to learn. I am most interested in what drives people to buy or sell shares at different times, and in different industries,” says Paul.
“I am fascinated about the “WHY” – the gut feel which is different for everyone.”
He even has a book recommendation – Malcolm Gladwell’s Blink: The Power of Thinking without Thinking. His tip for budding Sharemarket Game participants is to “do your homework and ignore the noise”.
Rounding out the top three was Stuart V, playing under the name Freelander69. Stuart, who like the other top two players comes from NSW , finished with a portfolio worth $63,497.59. It was his second attempt at the Sharemarket Game, and this time around, he focused on the four big banks and then some of the larger industrial stocks.
Stuart used the Relative Strength Index (RSI) to help decide which stock to purchase – and when to sell them. The RSI is a technical analysis tool that measures the speed and change of price movements.
“I am a big fan of using the RSI in determining when the stock has more upside than downside potential as well as their 52 week high/low levels. I never buy stocks when they are around the ‘overbought’ level,” says Stuart.
When it comes to advice for other players, Stuart is humble. Be patient, he says – and don’t be afraid to take profits.
“I joined the game purely for fun with no expectations of winning anything. It was so much fun especially when I briefly held the Number 1 ranking!”
The best performing university participant was Siyu J from Monash University in Victoria, with a portfolio worth $61,408.36. This was the first time playing the game for Siyu, but it didn’t show – she managed to achieve an overall rank of 14th.
Siyu spent a few hours each day doing research, tracking market trends and analysing the performance of her chosen companies. Her strategy was to invest in companies with strong fundamentals, diversify across sectors, and stay updated on market news to make timely decisions.
“I focused on sectors with growth potential, such as technology and healthcare, while also diversifying my portfolio to minimise risk. I analysed historical performance, current market conditions, and future growth prospects,” says Siyu.
Her advice for other participants? Don’t let short-term market noise dictate your decisions. Focus on your long-term goals, and trust your research.
The winning league with less than 10 members was Sir Dallas Brooks. The admin of the league, Enrico T, said he liked playing in a league because it gave him the ability to directly observe how others in the league were performing without having to search for their username. He finished with a portfolio worth $56,816.15.
Enrico approach to the game was to closely follow the financial news – dedicating 1.5 hours to catching up each weekend – and then use that knowledge as a basis for his stock picks.
“My strategy was to focus on financial news and capitalise on short-term market fluctuations, particularly targeting stocks that tend to overreact to market shocks,” says Enrico.
Our winning league with more than 10 members’ category was BFF2701_T8, with top performer Quintus L finishing with a portfolio of $55,231.74. Hassan S, the teacher of this university class, says the students participated in the Sharemarket Game as a part of their trading assessment for BFF2701, Equity Markets, at Monash University – which explains their name!
“The students were given a free hand to choose companies which matched their trading strategy. Some students used past trends in stock prices, some used fundamental information, such as the P/E ratio, and others found their trading rationales in financial newspapers,” says Hassan.
Overall, it was great experience for the students, says Hassan – and it will stand them in good stead for future investments.
Finally, the most improved participant for August was Charlotte R from NSW. She increased her portfolio by an impressive 13.3% over the month – from $41,918.26 to $47,502.76.
“I enjoyed the game a lot, but I can't say I took it too seriously either. If I learned anything it would be to take big risks when you’re not dealing with real money,” says Charlotte.
Her takeaway for other participants? “Risk it for the biscuit!”
As we prepare for the 2025 Game, we’d like to hear from you about your experiences participating over six months, versus the usual shorter Games.
If you haven’t done so, please spare a few minutes filling in our end of Game survey. Your feedback will help us decide on the format for next year’s Game. Plus, by completing the survey, you can go into the draw to receive one of two $100 gift vouchers.
Already excited for next year’s Game and keen to keep challenging yourself? Don’t fret - the ASX Options Trading Game is kicking off soon, giving you the chance to road test your investment ideas in the derivatives market.
Starting on 21 October, participants will have six weeks to maximise their return on $50,000 of virtual cash by buying and selling options on real ASX-listed stocks.
The Options Trading Game is suitable for all levels of experience, whether you are a beginner, or an experienced trader wanting to expand your knowledge.
Sign up now to get access to the sandbox environment before the Game starts.
Join us at the upcoming ASX Small and Mid-Cap Conference to hear from 20 companies as they present their business vision, strategy and achievements.
Those who join in person will get to be in the room with our presenting companies and exhibitor booths. Attendees will also receive a catered lunch and be welcomed to join us for networking drinks post the final speaking session in Exchange Square.
The whole day will be live streamed so you could also listen from the comfort of your office or home.
1) Have you played the game before? If yes, how many times?
Yes. I have played the game over a dozen times over the years.
2) How many hours a day do you spend on the game – including research etc.?
I spend a few hours a week looking at my progress deciding on the when will be a good time to sell or buy.
3) How are you selecting your companies?
This year I decided to spread my selections more evenly, into different sectors Health, Enviromental, Mining, Technology, etc.
4) Are you testing any strategies?
No, not really, just trying to find some underperforming stocks in sectors mentioned previously which have a good chance of recovery.
5) How are you handling the market volatility?
Very badly to begin with, but have managed to recover my losses and would be happy just to stay in the in profit
6) Any lesson you have learnt so far?
I think there is one stock I should have let go but I'll give a couple more weeks to see if it behaves. Also, I sold earlier instead of hanging on stock/shares for too long.
A few minutes of entertainment to exercise my brain, beats playing sudoku. I enjoy it more as it’s pretend money I’m playing with to give me confidence in understanding how the share market works.
1) Have you played the game before? If yes, how many times?
On and off for the last few years.
2) How many hours a day do you spend on the game – including research etc.?
Not everyday, 15min or so when it opens, then I check before close.
3) How are you selecting your companies?
When something falls I buy it and wait.
4) Are you testing any strategies?
I have no strategy.
5) How are you handling the market volatility?
I think I lucked out on a couple.
6) Any lesson you have learnt so far?
Yes, sit and wait, they eventually go up.
It's been fascinating to analyze market trends, make informed decisions, and see the outcomes of my fundamental based strategies in real-time. This experience has significantly enhanced my understanding of stock trading and investment principles.
1) Have you played the game before? If yes, how many times?
3 times.
2) How many hours a day do you spend on the game – including research etc.?
Approximately 1 - 2 hours.
3) How are you selecting your companies?
Based on fundamentals.
4) Are you testing any strategies?
No
5) How are you handling the market volatility?
I track the US VIX to gauge the volatility and eventually set my stop loss.
6) Any lesson you have learnt so far?
Patience is the key, invest in good companies and give time.
The toughest part of the game this time is just when you think you have some momentum it fades out or simply reverses on a pin. To try to counter that I have been taking profits after any strong move. This is easy to say but hard to do consistently.
1) Have you played the game before? If yes, how many times?
Yes, 3 times.
2) How many hours a day do you spend on the game – including research etc.?
30 min
3) How are you selecting your companies?
At present inflation sensitive and potential product shortages.
4) Are you testing any strategies?
No
5) How are you handling the market volatility?
After a decent move I return to cash but it is tricky.
6) Any lesson you have learnt so far?
Nothing new.
My experience so far has been great in fact has made me go back into the market and buy shares again as I have now got a better understanding of the workings of the market. It's good that the Game lasts a lot longer as I am sure it shows how share purchases are a long term investment.
1) Have you played the game before? If yes, how many times?
Yes, I played it the last 2 times - both I was way down in the ranking.
2) How many hours a day do you spend on the game – including research etc.?
I would only spend 30/60 minutes a day.
3) How are you selecting your companies?
Mainly I pick companies I use or know a good deal about.
4) Are you testing any strategies?
Yes, but not in the game saving for the next game.
5) How are you handling the market volatility?
I don't panic as with the rules we can only have a certain percentage in any one company.
6) Any lesson you have learnt so far?
Investing in Shares is a long term investment not a rich / broke overnight splash.
The views, opinions or recommendations of the authors of this market update are solely those of the authors and do not in any way reflect the views, opinions, recommendations, of ASX Limited ABN 98 008 624 691 and its related bodies corporate (“ASX”). ASX makes no representation or warranty with respect to the accuracy, completeness or currency of the content. The content in this market update is for educational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Independent advice should be obtained from an Australian financial services licensee before making investment decisions. To the extent permitted by law, ASX excludes all liability for any loss or damage arising in any way including by way of negligence.
