Create an index fund, or a stock portfolio, that represents a specific market (Japanese Stocks, Large US Stocks, Small US Stocks, etc), industry (Energy Stocks, Health Care Stocks, Self-Driving Stocks, Clean Energy Stocks, etc), or opportunity (Value Stocks, Growth Stocks, Dividend Stocks, etc). For example, creating an index fund for Health Care Stocks would mean finding multiple stocks in the Health Care industry that you believe will do well in the future.

In a document, list the stocks that are a part of your index fund and in what proportion they will be invested in. Your index must include at least 5 stocks.

For example:

• Apple (30%)
• Google (30%)
• Amazon (20%)
• Facebook (10%)
• Tesla (5%)
• Berkshire Hathaway (5%)

At the beginning of your document before the list, answer the following questions about the index fund:

• What market, industry, or opportunity does the index fund represent?
• Why would it be important for an investor to have exposure to that group of stocks?
  
  

For each stock that is a part of your index fund, answer the following questions:

• What does the company do?
• Why is this stock part of the index fund?
• What proportion will be invested in the stock and why that number?

At the end of your document, answer the following questions about the index fund:

• What was your process & criteria for selecting stocks that would be a good fit for the market/industry/opportunity your index fund is meant to represent?

Documents will be selected to move onto the next round based on your understanding of the stocks included in the index fund, the impact & real-life use of your index fund, and the accuracy of information. For a higher chance of moving on to the second stage, include 10 or more stocks in your index fund, and create a pie chart that visually represents the index fund’s asset allocation.

Submissions should be in either .pdf (PDF) or .docx (Microsoft Word Document) form, and sent to icoastudents.programs@gmail.com. All submissions are due April 23^rd at 11:59pm PST, and anything sent after that time will not be accepted.

If your document is selected to move onto the next round, you will have the opportunity to present your index fund and answer questions from a panel of experienced investors. You will know if your document was selected by May 7^th at 11:59pm PST, and if so you will receive more information about the second round. Those whose documents are selected to move on will receive a certificate recognizing their accomplishment, and the winner of the second round will receive a trophy.

If you have questions regarding this competition, please contact us and we will respond ASAP.