An Investment Show

Last night, I went to an investment demo of ČSOB, a major Czech banking firm owned past times the Belgian KBC. In essence, it was similar to some 10 previous investment seminars that I receive got attended – as well as things are getting a chip repetitive if yous attend these things also many times. But this time, at that topographic point was a genuine progress inward the format. The house was to a greater extent than luxurious – a multifunctional room at Techmania, the local scientific discipline museum that I know rather good (also because I receive got given a few lectures there).

The speaker was supported past times a big canvas, projector, as well as it seemed that via videoconferencing, some four extra ČSOB investment experts were available. They were closing their ain windows past times grabbing the cross inward the corner past times their hands as well as at that topographic point were lots of other cool effects.

They also repeated a quiz. This time, it was much to a greater extent than controlled. Normally, 1 fills answers amongst a pencil, people some me cheat amongst the timing, as well as thus many people win the symbolic prices fifty-fifty though they shouldn't. But I was ever amid the winners. This time, the quiz was evaluated using people's smartphones connected to a website, mentimeter.com. Everyone started past times entering a code as well as his name. There were vii questions amongst four options each. Correctness mattered but as well as thus did the speed.

That was a wonderful rule. People who can't work phones are screwed, people who cheat are screwed, people who aren't ever fast are screwed, as well as of course, people who don't know are screwed. So I would receive got been willing to bet 1-to-1 that amid the 100 or as well as thus people inward the room (only thirty or as well as thus receive got answered a typical question, however), I had to live the #1 at the end. And yes, brand no error virtually it LOL, I was. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 bottle of Portuguese sparkling vino was the prize.




After the commencement question, I was the leader. In the instant question, I chose to live excessively fast. How much did the stock marketplace grow since 2007? So I vaguely idea virtually the bottom as well as tapped 100%. Of course, what was meant was since 2007, earlier the existent collapse of the marketplace (I implicitly assumed the query "had to be" from 2009), as well as from those goodness times, it's only 70%. I knew inside seconds that I did a stupid thing, as well as dropped to third place. But I was soundless confident that this was a fluke as well as I would provide to the gold.

There were additional questions e.g. how many cryptocurrencies at that topographic point were (around 1400), how big a lucre yous would score if yous omitted lxxx best days inward some menstruum (a slightly negative one), who's the richest guy at in 1 trial (Bezos), as well as and thus on. I lost some speed points because during 1 question, I pressed the right reply also quickly, it said "you were also fast", as well as I had to reload! ;-) And I hesitated inward the final seventh query inward which all answers were correct. It seems all answers were right but didn't know what to press for some time. So I pressed a random, last, choice afterward a longer fourth dimension than necessary. So at the end, my border was only 4300-to-3500 of the frontrunner. But most of the people had a tiny fraction of those scores.




There's some feel inward which these investment seminars are ever the same – they explicate that stocks are the best assets inward the long run, there's some volatility, however, yous tin give the sack withdraw some of it past times investing regularly, the prospects await rosy. But the detailed component virtually the patch of the markets is patently changing as well as it's fun to observe.

So some of the things that were covered was the disappearance of the hysterias that caused corrections inward recent years. Some renewed Greek debt crisis scared the investors 3 years ago, Dieselgate 2 years ago, nation of war amongst Democratic People's Republic of Korea 1 yr agone (Kim as well as Trump are besties now, they innovation to play golf, as well as Kim persuades China to desire him to abandon the nuclear programme – Kim was likely told past times the Olympic cheerleaders how wonderful the things were inward Republic of Korea as well as he listened instead of executing them), ... The touching on of all these things would live tiny but the hysteria mattered because people overreact as well as media add together the positive feedbacks as well as when at that topographic point is the blood inward the street, yous should buy, Warren Buffett said.

Right now, he said Brexit to live negative for stock markets, as well as peculiarly Trump's irresponsible playing amongst the merchandise nation of war concept. The lower U.S. corporate taxes are a big win, of course. This guy actually evaluates events past times their positive/negative touching on on stocks as well as inward some sense, I recall that this is the most neutral evaluation of policies as well as events as well as mayhap fifty-fifty the politicians should endeavour to maximize the stock markets' increment (given the targeted inflation guaranteed past times the independent primal banks). I am non quite every bit fiscal every bit he is as well as thus I also receive got values as well as opinions that become beyond stocks – as well as thus inward particular, I recall that Brexit is the right thing despite some medium-term economical losses as well as it sure enough shouldn't live reversed. (But I am somewhat skeptical virtually the claim that the British "mainstream" forces are much ameliorate than the EU's ones. If they're the same or worse, the Brexit is unlikely to live a miraculous cure to most diseases of the EU.)

But otherwise his views on all these matters were perfect – which agency that I agreed amongst them. ;-)

Cryptocurrencies were also mentioned – every bit a typical representative of a bad investment, 1 amongst the highest possible adventure (which is oftentimes beingness obscured past times those who promote this stuff). He showed some projects at zonky.cz where somebody borrowed money from informal lenders (it's a people's ain organization to lend money to each other) to purchase 1 Bitcoin. Well, Zonky is likely also amateurish but it's a chip unfair to associate them amongst the Bitcoin because their folks endeavour to discourage the purchase of cryptocurrencies as well as receive got the official anti-crypto policy. (By the way, the Bitcoin only made the death cross, the recent 50-day moving average dropped below the 200-day one.)

He showed how 2017 was a goodness yr inward stocks, although it only recouped some 2015-2016 losses – as well as 2018 started amongst the annoying correction which seems to a greater extent than oftentimes than non unjustified. The U.S. stock markets grew past times some 20% but that meant that the "American fund", non insured against telephone commutation charge per unit of measurement swings, was constant inward crowns. That's because our currency gained 6% on the Euro which gained 15% on the dollar – as well as thus it gained on the U.S. dollar only similar the U.S. stocks. (Thankfully, I did predict all these things 1-2 years ago.) Facebook volition likely non live killed as well as the fixes volition live modest, he thought, as well as and thus on.

There were some overnice slides virtually the different philosophies of the generations, different technological as well as communication novelties that shaped their formative age, novel ways to invest inward the banking firm as well as larn some recommendations, as well as many other things.