Chapter 293 The Crazy Stock Market
August 21, Athens Exchange Hall
After the exchange opened at nine o'clock, the trading floor was crowded with people coming to trade stocks.
In front of the scribe Matler, there were crowds of people buying stocks. Behind him, on the blackboard, a vertical column of numbers written in chalk represented the stock prices of Andros Machinery Factory: 11, 13, 17, 1
"2, I want 300 shares"
"21,4100 shares"
As prices continue to rise, the people crowded around Matler are in high spirits and buying mood, and the prices they shout are also rising.
Because there were so many people buying shares of Andros Machinery Factory, the scribe Matler was very busy, with fine beads of sweat oozing from his forehead. He wiped his forehead with his left hand, while his right hand continued to write the quotes shouted by the buyers.
Watching the stock price of Andros Machinery Factory rising since it was first listed today, several investors who were watching from a distance were discussing in a low voice as they were caught by the crazy price.
"Why did the stock price of Andros Machinery Factory rise so fast? It's so weird, isn't it? Is there any news that I don't know about?" A man in a suit and leather shoes, with meticulously combed hair and shiny leather shoes asked the man next to him The companion asked.
"As far as I know, the operating conditions of this machinery factory are not good, with mixed product lines and poor profitability. Why are people so keen on this company's stock? On the contrary, it is large companies such as Philip Pharmaceuticals and Tesla Electric Power Group. , the profitability is so strong, and it is the largest company in Greece. It pays generous shareholder dividends every year. How come such a high-quality company has its stock price plummeting?"
"Paul, this doesn't make sense," the man said unhappily.
Think about it, I have already lost a quarter of the 20,000 drachma worth of stocks I purchased. I originally thought that these two companies, as the most well-known companies in Greece, are high-quality assets. However, after the market opened today, the prices plummeted. Not only that, but my mood became dull.
On the contrary, the price of Andros Machinery Factory, which I was not optimistic about, was rising all the way. Comparing the two, I felt even more depressed.
The young man named Paul, wearing a pair of gold-rimmed glasses, looked shrewd and capable. He said with a smile: "Buying stocks depends on the prospects and expectations of the company. It is not the stock of a good company. If you buy it, you will definitely win." Profitable”
"Everyone knows that big, reputable companies like Phillips Medical and Tesla Electric are good targets, and their stock prices are already very high."
"Now that the war is over, it is impossible for the army to have a large number of orders handed over to them. For these two companies, the good days of soaring orders during the war have passed. This situation will naturally affect the stock prices of the two companies. "Reflect on it," Paul said in a relaxed tone.
Think about it, after learning the news that Andros Machinery Factory was going to be listed, I immediately bought 12,000 shares at a high price when the market opened in the morning. Now my guess has been confirmed. Make a fortune.
Looking at the blackboard surrounded by people, the rising prices, and the enthusiastic buying crowd, Paul was overjoyed and applauded his wisdom.
"Now that the war is over, the cars that have been put into production at the Andros Machinery Factory are imitations of the best-selling products of the American Ford Company and are now on the market." Paul analyzed the information to his companions in a brisk tone.
"Cars are an emerging industry now, and the market prospects are promising. Rich people in wealthy areas such as the United States and Western Europe are rushing to buy cars as a means of transportation. As far as I know, in big cities such as Paris, cars have already replaced horse-drawn carriages. , emerged as a new urban means of transportation.”
“It is said that among middle-class families in the United States, cars are now an essential family means of transportation.”
"Andros Machinery Factory is the only car manufacturer in Greece. It has no competitors at all. With such a good market prospect, do you think this company's stock can grow higher?"
Having said this, he leaned close to Otto's ear and whispered: "There is also news. According to a reporter friend I know, this company has won a large order from the Army."
At this point, Otto paused for a moment and looked around carefully. After knowing that no one was paying attention to the two of them nearby, he said carefully: "I heard that this company accepted the commission from the army and was hired to produce thousands of vehicles for the army. Trucks to replace mules and horses in the army."
"In addition to trucks, there are also experiments with new armored vehicles for the army."
“If Andros Machinery Factory succeeds, it could become Greece’s largest arms supplier.”
Hearing this, Otto was full of surprise: "Is your news reliable? It's not a rumor, right?"
Paul's news surprised Otto. If what Paul said was true, then even if Andros Machinery Factory's stock price was already extremely high, it would still be a good investment opportunity.
But I was full of doubts about the news Paul told me, worried that someone had deliberately spread the rumor.
The stock exchange is a place full of lies and deception. It is not uncommon for rumors to be spread intentionally to achieve their goals.
"Otto, if you want to be successful in the stock market, be sure to keep a keen eye on the latest news."
"The faster you get the news, the greater the chance of success. News that everyone knows is no longer valuable to us investors." Paul seemed to be advising Otto, and seemed to be warning himself.
In order to obtain the exact news that Andros Machinery Factory accepted the military order, Paul gritted his teeth and paid the reporter who was said to have interviewed the top Greek military officers 300 drachmas to ensure the accuracy of the news.
Thinking of this, Paul said with emotion: "In the ever-changing market, the latest news is money. Didn't the famous Rothschild family make a fortune by using the news?"
On June 18, 1815, the French army commanded by Napoleon and the anti-French coalition commanded by British General Wellington fought a great battle at Waterloo in Belgium.
Seeing that Napoleon's army was doomed to fail, a British man named Rothwoods quietly evacuated the battlefield, galloped to the port of Ostend, and jumped on a clipper with a special pass.
The next morning, he landed in Foxton, England, and hurriedly told Nathan Rothschild, who was waiting there, about the defeat of the French army.
Rothschild rushed to the London Stock Exchange without saying a word.
Rothschild was a man with great business acumen. He knew that the result of the Battle of Waterloo was not only significant in military terms, but also had a profound impact on the financial world.
If Napoleon won, France would become the master of Europe, and the price of public bonds issued by the British government (in order to build an anti-French alliance, Britain had been using gold and dollar offensives, waving banknotes, and inciting European countries to fight against France) would plummet;
On the contrary, if Wellington won, Britain would dominate Europe, and British public bonds would rise sharply.
Because there were no communication equipment such as telephones and telegraphs at that time, on the eve of the war, he spared no expense to send a number of intelligence personnel to Waterloo to continuously send back to London the progress of the battle on the front line.
Because of this, Rothschild knew the result of the Battle of Waterloo earlier than anyone else.
After rushing back to the London Stock Exchange, he remained calm and first sold a large number of British government bonds to induce a large number of government bond holders to sell them with him, causing the price of British government bonds to fall rapidly. The more it fell, the more people followed suit and sold, forming a vicious cycle.
In less than half a day, the price of British government bonds was only 7% of the original price. At this time, Rothschild turned to buy a large number of British government bonds.
It was not until three days later that the news of the British army's victory in Waterloo reached London.
At this time, Rothschild had become the largest creditor of the British government because of his large holdings of British government bonds, and firmly controlled the economic lifeline of the British Empire.
The Rothschild family relied on a piece of news to earn a huge amount of wealth, and this story has also become a wealth myth widely circulated in the securities market.
Paul continued to mutter: "So, Otto, you should also pay attention to the latest news in the future, but you must... Hey, where is the person?"
Turning around, there was still Otto's shadow beside him, and he had disappeared long ago.
After a careful search, Paul discovered that Otto had already squeezed into the crowd, waving his arms at the scribe and shouting, "52, I want 10,000 shares of Andros Machinery Factory!"