Around 40,000 14 to 19-year-olds will pit their wits against the volatile markets over the months to come.
Recent headlines over stock market volatility could have led to more teens becoming interested in investing.
An annual share-trading competition for youngsters organised by ifs School of Finance has attracted 40,000 entrants this year, the organisation said today. The total is well up on 2007, when just 30,000 applied.
The rules of the competition state that participants are given an imaginary £100,000 to put into whatever shares they think will perform the best over the next four months. When the time is up, the value of their portfolios are measured relative to other entrants.
Reports over the wild rises and falls of the FTSE 100 and other global equities markets have been much in evidence over recent months. Financial scandals involving alleged hedge fund fraudster Bernie Madoff and Paris-based "rogue trader" Jerome Kerviel have also made waves.
Rod McKee, head of financial capability at the ifs School of Finance, said: "We were delighted to have narrowly breached the 30,000 mark last year and having almost 40,000 students this year has exceeded all expectations.
"It's a particularly interesting time for students to be learning about investing in the stock market, given the Bernie Madoff revelations, tumbling interest rates, retail chaos and banking woes. These events have undoubtedly played a part in seeing unprecedented interest in learning about the stock market."
The ifs School of Finance competition was open to 14 to 19-year-olds only.
