Fresno State unveiled new student run stock trading room

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Fresno State's Craig School of Business now has a new tool to train future investors. Thursday the school unveiled its student-run stock trading room.

The stocks are going up and down, and the ticker is reporting the stock movement in the new trading room at Fresno State's Craig School of Business.

"We are very excited because this is one of my dreams. And around the world there are over 400 such programs in the nation," said K. C. Chen, department chair.

Chen was one of the proud faculty members on hand at the launch of the trading room.

Wells Fargo donated $45,000 to turn the one-time conference room into a thriving space. Students like Jacob Nielsen said the room will help further their education.

"A lot of schools don't even have the computers, let alone the screens and technology that's in here. So we're really lucky to have all this technology and come in here between classes, and it really aids in being able to pick stocks when you have all this access to all this information."

The trading room is one of only four training labs of its kind in the state.

"It's hands on experience. They actually watch the real news and digest the news quickly and make quick decisions, because now a days technology is so advanced traders arbitrage over one second," said Chen.

Not only will students be able to learn and discuss trading, they will put their knowledge to the test with real money.

In 2010, the Fresno State Foundation donated $1-million to the group to invest.

"That grew quite nicely, so the foundation decided to add another million to that, and since that we've grown that to $2.8 million," said Bob Harper, Craig School of Business Dean.

An accomplishment both students and faculty say is paying off in more ways than one.

Officials said the trading room provides a place to make an investment in stocks and an investment in our students future.