Cat Beats Financial Experts on Stock Picks

by Christopher Freeburn | January 14, 2013 2:29 pm

[1]Teams of British professional financial experts and students were bested in 2012 stock picks[2] by a orange cat named Orlando, The Guardian notes.

The newspaper challenged the professionals and students to invest an imaginary £5,000 in companies listed on the FTSE All-Share Index, and then monitored the performance of their picks, which could be periodically adjusted, over the year. Orlando eschewed heavy financial research and chose his stocks by tossing a toy onto the pages of the Financial Times.

Through September, the financial professionals were in the lead, producing profits of £497, while Orlando’s picks generated just £292.

However, the last quarter of the year upset the results, putting the cat on top. At the close of 2012, Orlando’s portfolio had earned an average of 4.2%, or £542.60 for the year. The professionals earned just £176.60.

Orlando’s success reignited a debate over whether professional stock-pickers can really outperform random fluctuations in share prices. The cat has been rewarded with a new red collar for his success, while the students and financial professionals were left to lick their wounded reputations.

Source URL: http://investorplace.com/2013/01/orange-cats-beats-financial-experts-on-stock-picks/
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