Stock-savvy students participate in trades for long-term savings

By Natalie Gao and Manasa Sriraj Mar. 17, 2021

Although the stock market is often associated with the world’s most powerful corporations and entrepreneurs, many students have also been investing in companies, according to CNBC. For instance, despite their young age, Junior Aakash Sriram and Seniors Shreya Thayaparan and Luke Lin have been purchasing and trading shares for several years.

Sriram first became interested in the activity when he saw his dad analyzing stock market charts in ninth grade. Likewise, Thayaparan discovered the market in eighth grade while exploring the stocks application on her phone. Meanwhile, Lin was motivated to become a shareholder to disprove the common notion that the institution was solely for the geniuses, and he ultimately purchased his first shares of Intel when he was in fourth grade.

In order to make successful purchases, Sriram and Thayaparan wake up at 6 a.m. every weekday, right before the market opens.

In order to make successful purchases, Sriram and Thayaparan wake up at 6 a.m. every weekday, right before the market opens. After analyzing chart patterns, price-to-earnings ratios and company values, Sriram and Thayaparan make their purchases. On the other hand, Lin uses a self-developed artificial intelligence model for this evaluation. The model uses neural network technology to assess the market from three viewpoints: one component utilizes the news to determine the market’s performance, while the other two components analyze how likely it is for a stock to gain value over time.

Junior Aakash Sriram shows his charts.

Jonathan Morris Photo

“I have different patterns for long-term and short-term investments. Prior to purchasing long-term stocks, I thoroughly research the market. However, for short term stocks, I do simpler chart analysis to identify which stock will be the next breakout,” Sriram said.

Even though the students are now experienced, they initially faced numerous difficulties. For instance, when Sriram was beginning to invest, one of his stocks’ value decreased, causing his entire collection’s price to decline by 30 percent. To minimize long-term consequences, he quickly sold his shares. Lin, on the other hand, was challenged with navigating the stock exchange, as he could no longer visually analyze stocks when he went blind. However, his parents supported him by introducing him to a group of successful blind investors who taught him how to pursue the hobby regardless of not being able to see the charts.

The students...advise students to let go of the “fear of missing out” (FOMO) in the stock market.

The students encourage future investors to take risks, as long as they are wisely thought out. They also advise students to let go of the “fear of missing out” (FOMO) in the stock market. Instead, they urge others to trust their plans and not feel pressured to buy a certain holding just because other traders profit from it.

Senior Luke Lin smiles at the camera while monitoring the market.

Jonathan Ke Photo

“When I first started investing, I made several mistakes due to FOMO. I witnessed how quickly some people earned large sums of money in a short period of time and felt pressured to do the same before potent shares were sold out,” Lin said.

All three students have different investment goals: Sriram plans to add his earnings to his college funds, Lin wants to start a business and retire early and Thayaparan works to save her profits for other investments. These three students’ experiences demonstrate that although the stock market may initially seem like a difficult place to navigate, developing a well thought-out plan, having a strong work ethic and persevering will greatly help investors save money for the future.

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About the Contributors

Natalie Gao

Staff Writer

Natalie Gao is a sophomore at Leland High School and a staff writer. She likes playing Tetris and making mac and cheese in her free time.

Manasa Sriraj

Staff Writer

Manasa Sriraj is a freshman at Leland High School and a staff writer. She is a STEM, puzzle, and geography freak and loves torturing her friends by spamming and "Rickrolling" on group chats. Her hobbies include listening to music, playing basketball and the guitar, experimenting with snack recipes (which usually result in messes), and building Rube Goldberg machines and gadgets out of Legos and other regular household objects.