Most college students don’t spend much time pondering their stock portfolios, but the members of the CC Investment Club are busy honing them to a fine art.

Along with their faculty sponsor, economics Professor John Stinespring, club members meet once a block and discuss how best to manage their group stake in the market – about $13,000 at last check.

The money, which was donated by the Schlessman Fund, CC Board of Trustees Chairman Van Skilling ’55, and Max Drucker, is divided between six companies and mutual funds. All the profits are re-invested, used to bring interesting speakers to campus, or given to charity.

The point of the club is not to make money, but to learn the ins and outs of the stock market firsthand.

“We’ve moved from personal gains to personal knowledge gains,” says Nick Hart ’04, who was president of the club before graduating in May.

The club welcomes all comers, regardless of experience. Some, like Hart, know a little going in, but others, like Minh Nguyen ’05, are rank novices.

“I had no idea about investing prior to joining the Investment Club,” says Nguyen. His roommate persuaded him to join up as a freshman, and this coming year, he takes on the post of club secretary.

“I like the Investment Club because it’s practical,” he says. “It teaches me a set of tools that could come in handy later in life.”

The club’s portfolio is a diverse mix of issues. There’s a Colorado Springs medical research and technology company called Spectranetics, a beverage marketer, and Washington Mutual, which the club bought partly because they liked the bank’s customer service, which includes free ATMs.

“That might catch on,” says Hart.

Whatever the strategy, it seems to be working. Despite the sluggish economy, the club’s portfolio is worth more now than it was when they bought in.