Stock Market Game Week in Review

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.

While the government confirmed on Thursday that the U.S. economy suffered its largest drop in 26 years during the fourth quarter, the markets provided somewhat of a silver lining earlier this week, posting 20% gains in under three weeks. Unfortunately, the gains were short-lived as the markets retreated on Friday.

As Stock Market Game students select their portfolio investments, they may be interested in taking a look at the most recent issue of BusinessWeek's top 50 stock picks of the S&P 500. It analyzed two core financial measures, average return on capital and growth, both taken over the previous 36 months. It also factored in net profit margins and long-term earning prospects. Unlike in years past, many of the companies occupying the top spots are not well-known. They also span various industries and sectors that your students may want to research further.

The top five include:...