Zoodak: Fun Stock Market Game for Beginners

Unlike any other stock trading competition, Zoodak hosts monthly tournaments where you can sign up and start trading immediately.

As a ZooTrader you have access to market research and dynamic information on the stock market and indices. You also have access to the analysis provided by the Zoodak community. Personalize the tools and build your own network to develop your understanding of the markets and strategize ways to improve your performance.

Your performance will be ranked against other ZooTraders that created their portfolio in the same month. If you are in a cash tournament and your portfolio ends up in the top rankings, you will win cash prizes. Please refer to the specific tournament prize structure details for the prize payout breakdown. Any ZooTrader that posts a positive return will earn ZooPoints in proportion to their performance.

In cash tournaments, ZooPoints will be awarded as follows:

ZooPoints = 5 * (Final Portfolio Balance – Initial Portfolio Balance) / 100 

In practice tournaments, ZooPoints will be awarded as follows:

ZooPoints = 2 * (Final Portfolio Balance – Initial Portfolio Balance) / 100 

ZooPoints can be used to buy portfolios for cash tournaments, view predictions from 5-Star ZooAnalysts or buy merchandise from the ZooStore.

Any common stock listed in NYSE, NASDAQ and AMEX is available to trade except for bankrupt companies and OTC stock.

Trading allowed to :

• Open Trades: Buy, Short Sell
• Close Trades: Sell, Buy to Cover

Orders allowed to :

• Open Trades: Market Order, Limit Order
• Close Trades: Market Order, Limit Order, Stop Order

ZooAnalysts choose stocks and predict if they will close up or down from their same day open price. After posting 10 predictions you are automatically rated. You gain status based on the accuracy and number of predictions you make. ZooPoints are awarded based on your rating.

• Predict and comment on any stock’s same day performance - either up or down from opening to closing price.
• Earn ZooPoints for every correct prediction you make depending on your ZooAnalyst rating.
• Attain Level-5 rating and get paid by the Zoodak community whenever they view your correct predictions for as long as you maintain your Level-5 rating.

ZooAnalysts can make up to 10 stock predictions per day even after the markets close. Any Zoodak user can use ZooPoints to view the Level-5 ZooAnalyst predictions. Stock market predictions posted by the non-Level-5 ZooAnalysts are free of charge.

As a ZooAnalyst you have access to market research and dynamic information on the stock market and indices. You also have access to the analysis provided by the Zoodak community. Personalize the tools and build your own network to develop your understanding of the markets and strategize ways to improve your performance.

• Any registered user of Zoodak™ can participate in daily stock predictions.
• Each user can post up to 10 stock predictions a day.
• Daily predictions are either Up or Down from open to close price.
• Comments must be included with predictions in order to be eligible for prizes.
• Users must submit their predictions by 8:00 AM Eastern Standard Time to be considered for same day by Zoodak™.
• Any common stock listed in NYSE, NASDAQ and AMEX is eligible for predicting except for bankrupt companies and OTC stock.
• Results will be based on the difference between the stock’s opening and closing prices for the same day.
• In the event that a stock price does not change from the open to close trades, the prediction will be incorrect.
• Users will be rated after making 10 predictions.
• Users will gain status based on the amount of predictions they post and the accuracy of their predictions.
• ZooPoints will be awarded to eligible winners within 1 hour of the market close.

ZooAnalyst ratings will be determined as follows:

ZooAnalysts will earn ZooPoints based on their rating as follows:

1. Initial Cash Balance - Traders will be given an initial cash balance of US $100,000 of virtual cash to create their portfolios.
2. Trading Period - The trading period is for a predetermined number of trading days and begins when a portfolio is created. If the portfolio is created within market hours, it is included as a full trading day. If the portfolio is created after market hours, the trading period will start with the next trading day. Any pending trades submitted after market hours will be executed at the starting bell of the next trading day.
3. Monthly Tournament Pool – Monthly tournament ranking will be among all of the participants’ whose portfolio creation date falls on that particular month. For instance, if you create a portfolio any day in August then you will be ranked with all the portfolios that were created in August with the same number of trading days.
4. Order Types and Trade Execution - Market, limit, and stop orders will be accepted. All orders are executed at the real-time next trade price as provided by our data vendor when placed during market hours. Due to exchange rules, the web page will display a delayed price estimate of the price until 15-20 minutes has elapsed. The transaction will automatically appear in the Trader's Portfolio and Transaction History.
   • Market orders placed while the markets are closed or before the market opens will be executed at the first trade price shortly after the market opens and contingent to trading volume on that particular stock. If the stock requested has not traded that day then the trade will be cancelled.
   • Limit and stop orders may be placed as "Day" orders which are good for the day only, or as "GTC" orders, which are good until cancelled.
   • If a trader does not have adequate cash or buying power to process a trade, then the numbers of shares will be adjusted to allow the trade to be filled as best it can.
5. Eligible Securities - Traders can buy any common stock or ETF listed on NYSE, NASDAQ, or AMEX exchange that is quoted by our data vendor. Traders cannot trade OTC stocks, mutual funds, options, futures, or bonds.
6. Buying on Margin - Buying on margin is NOT allowed for any long stock positions. Short selling, however, requires the 100% of the initial market value of the shorts as well as short proceeds to be set aside for cash margin with interest accrued.
7. Order Types - There are three types of orders. The main difference between market order and limit/stop order is “who determines the price”.
   • Market Order: User will get whatever the going price is at the time of the order. Zoodak™ will execute those trades as long as there’s enough buying power in your account.
   • Limit Order: User enters his/her best price to be executed. Example: when John wants to buy ABC stock at $18 when it’s currently trading at $20, he can submit a limit order to fill the trade when the stock hits or goes below $18.
   • Stop Order: User enters the worst price he/she is willing to accept. Example: John sees ABC stock trading at $20 and wants to make sure he buys the stock if it hits $23. He will have to submit a stop order for $23 and the order will be filled when the stock reaches $23.
8. Short Selling Constraints – Borrowing fees are not assessed. Any dividends declared during the holding time will be subtracted from the cash balance.
9. Splits, Dividends and other Corporate Actions - Most stock splits, dividends, and other corporate actions reported by the news wires will be accounted for after the markets have closed and prior to the next market opening.
10. Commissions - Each trade will incur virtual commissions to reflect the cost of trading real stocks. A $10 virtual cash fee will be applied to market orders and a $20 virtual cash fee will be applied to limit and stop orders. Commissions will be subtracted from a portfolio’s virtual cash balance and will not affect a user’s Account.
11. Canceling Market Orders - Traders cannot cancel market orders placed during market hours.
12. Discrepancies - Traders should report any account discrepancy within one (1) week from the transaction date. Zoodak™ will, at its sole discretion, investigate and adjust any legitimate discrepancy. Discrepancies reported after one (1) week may or may not be adjusted.
13. Transaction Limits - To encourage diversification, users cannot open trade any more than $25,000 worth of a single stock.
14. Trading Volume Limits - Users cannot open trades for more than 1% of the stock’s average daily volume. This rule applies to only ‘buy’ or ‘short’ orders (to open new trades).
15. Initial Public Offerings - Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) may only be traded once they are listed on the exchange and their quotes are carried by our data vendor. Pending trades on Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) will be executed at the market price, not the IPO price.
16. Transaction Limits - The maximum number of trades allowed in a portfolio for a 20 day trading period is 100 per portfolio in Practice Tournaments and unlimited in Cash Tournaments.
17. Cash Prizes - Cash prizes are deposited to the user’s Accounts within 6 hours of the market close of the last trading day for each tournament.
18. Zoodak™ Reward Points – Registered Users will be eligible to earn ZooPoints through a variety or methods, including but not limited to: positive performance in portfolios, correct stock predictions and various marketing promotions. These points are redeemable at the ZooStore for Zoodak™ merchandise, to purchase portfolios in cash tournaments, or to view Level-5 ZooAnalyst predictions.
19. Margin – Margin is the money that brokerage houses lend to the investors/traders to leverage the portfolio performance. Typical margin requirements are 50% of the positions. However, at Zoodak™ we apply 100% margin for everyone to make a fair game.