U of I takes stock in New York senate race

Iowans and anyone else with a computer are now able to buy “shares” inHillary Clinton or Rudolph Guiliani. The two possible contenders in the NewYork U-S Senate race are subject of an electronic stock market where webtraders can speculate about the election’s outcome.Jeanine Phuntner is operations manager of the Iowa Electronic Market, basedat the University of Iowa’s College of Business. She says they’re trying todetermine if markets can predict the outcome of an election better than apoll. Phuntner says there’s a minimum investment of five dollars with amaximum bid of 500 dollars.Internet traders who don’t want to chose the First Lady or the New YorkMayor can select another option for the winner — like any republican, anydemocrat or any independent. So far, Phuntner says the two prime candidatesare in a tight race, though neither one has yet declared being a candidate.Though it’s a New York race, Phuntner says Iowans ARE interested in it andare having fun with the website — and some of them could make a littlemoney. Payoffs are one-dollar per share. There are no commissions. Thewebsite is at: www.biz.uiowa.edu/iem