The Stock Market Simulator leaderboard ranks students based on their portfolio performance. Available on Plus tier and above.
Selecting Stock Market Simulator
From the Rankings tab, set the Category dropdown to Stock Market Simulator.
The Metric Cards
Top Performer — Currently leading student (e.g., "Evan Johnson")
Class Avg Return — Average return percentage across the class (e.g., -4.3%)
Class Avg Portfolio Value — Average total portfolio value (e.g., $4,321.02)
Category — "Stock Market Simulator" (label only)
A note on the example: A Class Avg Return of -4.3% with a Class Avg Portfolio Value of $4,321 means most students have engaged minimally with the simulator. As students trade more and the simulated market plays out, these numbers shift dramatically. The market simulator can produce real gains and real losses.
The Leaderboard Columns
The Stock Market Simulator leaderboard table shows:
Rank — Position (1, 2, 3, …)
Student — Student name
Total Portfolio Value — Total value of holdings + cash
Return — Percentage gain or loss from the starting balance ($100,000)
Diversity — Categorical rating (Low, Medium, High) reflecting how spread their portfolio is across stocks
Stocks — Number of distinct stocks the student holds
How Students Are Ranked
The primary ranking metric is Total Portfolio Value. Students with higher portfolio value rank higher, regardless of how they got there.
This means students can climb the leaderboard through:
Smart picks — Buying stocks that perform well
Diversification — Spreading risk to smooth out volatility
Active management — Buying and selling at opportune moments
Luck — Being right at the right moment
Reading the Data
Stock Market data reveals strategy clearly:
Leader with 1 stock and high return This student got lucky on a single pick. Use them as a discussion point about concentration risk: "What if Evan's one stock had crashed instead? Where would he be?"
Leader with many stocks and high return This student has built a diversified portfolio that performed well. They're demonstrating sound investing principles, not just luck.
Leader with many stocks and modest return This student is playing defense — minimizing downside through diversification. In bad markets, they outperform riskier players. Discussion point: "Why does diversity matter when the market is down?"
Students at $0.00 Portfolio Value Either they haven't engaged with the simulator yet (most common) or they've sold all holdings and are sitting in cash. Check their Stock Sim view in Student Performance to see which.
Students with negative returns The market doesn't always go up. Negative returns are real-world possibilities and great learning moments. Avoid framing them as "failure" — frame them as data.
Diversity as a Teaching Tool
The Diversity column is unique to the Stock Market leaderboard and one of its most pedagogically valuable features:
Low — Concentrated in 1–2 stocks
Medium — Spread across a moderate number of stocks
High — Diversified across many positions
Compare top performers' diversity ratings. Often, the highest-return student in the short term will have Low diversity (they got lucky on one bet), while the most resilient long-term performers have High diversity.
This sets up rich classroom discussion: "What's better — high return with low diversity, or moderate return with high diversity?" There's no single right answer, which is exactly the point.
When the Market Crashes
The simulator can simulate market downturns, and many students will see their portfolios drop. Don't panic — this is an intentional feature.
When the leaderboard reflects widespread losses:
Acknowledge it honestly with students
Discuss what real investors do in downturns (don't panic-sell, dollar-cost average, look at history)
Compare students who lost less (typically more diversified) with students who lost more (typically concentrated)
Frame it as a real-world skill: handling volatility
Tying to Real Investing
The Stock Market Simulator is the most direct connection between Intertwined and real adult financial life. Use the leaderboard to discuss:
The role of time horizon
Risk vs. reward trade-offs
Why most professional investors emphasize diversification
How emotional decisions (panic-selling, FOMO-buying) hurt returns
The difference between "lucky" and "skilled" performance
Related articles:
9.1 Rankings Tab Overview
1.3 Understanding Your Plan Tier (Stock Sim requires Plus tier or above)
9.6 Using Leaderboards in the Classroom