The Stock Market Game's Top 10 Stocks of Spring 2008

The Stock Market Game is a curriculum-based teaching tool that allows students to invest a hypothetical $100,000 online stock portfolio to learn about long-term saving and investing.

More than 740,000 students participated in the Stock Market Game (SMG) during the 2007-08 school year.

Last fall, we posted the top 10 stock picks from this army of young researchers and analyzed the top five companies. This spring, we have repeated this exercise, tracking the top stocks from the beginning of the SMG on January 14 to the end of the competition on May 2.

Drum roll please.

The five best-performing student stocks are:

1. Corporate Express (CXP Quote): Corporate Express has been rejecting unsolicited buyout offers from Staples (SPLS Quote) since February, which has helped fuel a 75% increase in its stock price over the last several months.

Corporate Express is a supplier of office products to businesses and institutions, including computer supplies and office furniture. The company also supplies graphic equipment and related services. As of December 31, 2007, the Corporate Express operates in more than 350 locations in 21 countries.

2. Daiei (DAIEY Quote): This Japanese company is primarily engaged in the retail business, consisting of general merchandise stores, supermarkets, discount stores, convenience stores, department stores and specialty stores for the sale of clothing and sundry goods. Its 61% stock price increase appears to be related to the company's divesture from money-losing subsidiary enterprises.