The 14-Year-Old Investor Who Doubled His Portfolio in the Stock Market
Meet Oz Cohen, a 14.5-year-old Israeli investor who turned 2,500 shekels into 22,000 shekels over three years through savvy stock market investments.
When capital market experts advise starting investments early, they likely do not mean as early as Oz Cohen. At just 14 and a half, a ninth-grader from the agricultural community of Nir Zvi, Cohen made his first stock market investment at the tender age of 11. Since then, he has managed an investment portfolio, bought and sold stocks, and analyzed stock charts between school exams and hanging out with friends on the sports field.
"I managed to achieve a return of over 100% in my investment portfolio within about three years, and I never sold most of the stocks I bought. I even have a stock that yielded 200%," he shares, revealing that he has already formulated an investment strategy. "I invest in stocks, which is a riskier type of investment than index funds, but the results I achieved came from investing in shares of high-quality, stable companies rather than high-risk, volatile options. I am young and can handle losses, but I purposely chose large companies with slightly slower revenue growth and smaller losses."
His friends are less enthusiastic about investments, but he believes they should start early. "It is not a common topic of conversation among us. I have a few friends whose parents helped them deposit bar mitzvah money into the capital market, but they are not necessarily interested in it. In my opinion, early exposure to the world of investments is beneficial.
How It All Began
"I started taking an interest in the capital market at age 11, initially by asking my father endless questions, then moving on to daily reading of financial news and content on apps. Since age 12, I have been investing independently and consistently in stocks.
"It all started when my father opened an account at the Meitav investment house for my siblings and me, telling each of us we could buy a stock of our choice for 2,500 shekels. He gave us a list of companies along with stock values and additional company data, telling us, 'See what you connect with.' I chose a stock from Mizrahi Tefahot, feeling that a bank is a more stable business. That was my first decision in the capital market. After my dad bought the stocks we chose, he said, 'From now on, you manage your portfolio. Choose stocks, do research, and start investing,' encouraging us that if we invest wisely, the money will multiply.
"In the first year, I did not touch the portfolio at all and simply watched the stock rise. During that period, the Mizrahi Tefahot stock more than doubled, and within a year I suddenly had 5,600 shekels. I was really excited by this and realized that you can actually make a profit. I also received dividends distributed by the bank. This prompted me to ask my dad more questions and read a bit about stocks and investments, and I decided to buy more stocks using money from birthdays and savings. When I started showing interest, social media algorithms began feeding me investment-related content. Suddenly, Instagram started showing me explanations from various investors, and my entire feed became about investments. After a while, I handed my dad a list of all the stocks I wanted to buy.
"The second stock I bought was Elbit during the Swords of Iron war. I saw videos on Instagram from investors, and my dad also explained to me that this is a company dealing in defense and that during wartime it would likely rise, so I bought 700 shekels worth of shares and now I am up 200% on that stock.
"I also had losses. The third stock I held was Nike, which I bought because I thought it was a large, successful company that would continue to thrive. But Nike dropped significantly recently, and on the 600 dollars I invested there, I lost 250 dollars. Afterward, I saw videos discussing how it is going through its worst period and is not worth trading right now. I told my dad it was probably a mistake to invest there, and I withdrew the money at a loss. However, with that money I already bought another stock, added more funds to it, and I am already in profit there."
Staying Updated and Tools
"I read financial journalism, follow news concerning companies and the capital market, watch content on TikTok, and track stocks using the Meitav Trade app and others that display stock charts, showing how much they have risen and what they are worth. I make heavy use of AI chats to analyze the data and charts I see.
Lessons Learned and Future Outlook
"The lesson I learned is that one should not get flustered or scared of the capital market, even at my age. Do not be afraid to experiment, learn the subject, and track stocks; it is not difficult. It sounds distant for teenagers my age, but it should not just occupy our parents.
"Although I had to open the investment account through my father as a guardian, since opening an investment account is prohibited before age 18, and I track stocks on his mobile phone app, I manage my portfolio and make decisions myself. I downloaded stock tracking apps and monitor the companies in my portfolio and others, deciding which stocks to sell or buy. My lesson is that it is worth starting at a young age, because this is our time to try, perhaps even lose sometimes, and learn from it.
"I started with 2,500 shekels that I invested, and today I have around 22,000 shekels. In most stocks I doubled my investment; in most I made between 70% and 100%, and there is the stock that rose 200% over the three years I have been investing. After the initial 2,500 shekel investment from my dad, I continued investing my own money from my bar mitzvah and birthday parties. I did not touch the gifts people gave me. While my siblings bought themselves things with their gift money, I invested everything in the capital market. My current profit in the portfolio is around 12,000 shekels.
"I recommend tracking Microsoft, because it is a successful company that has not dropped for a long time, and today it is especially interesting given the focus on AI. I see it as a safer stock than many others. In general, I recommend tracking all stocks of AI companies, as they are the most innovative."
