by Emily Martin.

In stark contrast to the common stereotype of teenage irresponsibility, junior Dalton Lane invests his time and money in a more educated roulette, of sorts: the stock market.

He began managing stocks sometime around the beginning of the school year, investing money he accumulated over the break.

“I made a lot of money in the summer,” Lane said, “so I invested that and got back about a fifth of what I made originally.”

Lane now estimates his portfolio’s worth to be about $1,300.

This is how it works: companies sell stock to the general public, a process called equity financing, to cover any costs they might have from opening, expansion or whatever else. When a person buys what is called a share of stock, he is more or less purchasing ownership of a fraction, if only a tiny fraction, of the company’s earnings, the money earned via the business, and assets, i.e. everything else the company owns. So when the company does well, as does the stockholder.

To have success in the stock market, shareowners must be careful and considerate in their investments.

“I research a lot of stocks almost every day,” Lane said. “I analyze stocks, I buy them, I sell them and I invest and research.”

With thousands of stocks in all varieties of size, style and sector to choose from, being a beginner in the market can prove overwhelming without a little help.

“My uncle was a banker and he has stock,” Lane said. “He’s really good at it and he helps me out. Mr. Leach [got me into it] because he’s really good at it, too, and he’s a very smart person.”

After getting past the initial intimidation of stock market activity, along with stimulating an influx of cash, owning stock shares can be quite educational.

“I get to learn about lots of companies,” Lane said, referencing an investment he made shortly before a scandal. “I learn a lot about the economy, too.”

Whether someone might want to invest in stocks to learn more about the economy or just to make some extra money, Lane’s advice is to be careful.

“It can be very risky,” he said, “especially if you don’t know what you’re doing.”

For him, there are several reasons to enjoy owning shares.

“I like doing it because it gives me something to do, I like money, and… I don’t know,” Lane said, “it’s just interesting to me.”