How much are Americans spending on Halloween treats? Are the number of stocks on the rise or decline? And how long does it typically take the market to recover from a crisis? Test your knowledge in this edition of “Did You Know?”—you may be tricked!
Halloween
Question: Halloween’s roots can be traced back:
- 600 years
- 1,300 years
- 2,000 years
- 4,000 years
Answer:
- 2,000 years
Halloween has evolved from the pre-Christian Celtic festival called Samhain or “summer’s end.” It wasn’t until medieval times that trick-or-treating came into play. Initially the poor - children and adults - dressed up and asked for food in exchange for song or prayer. The holiday only became popular in America with the arrival of Irish and Scottish immigrants who initially used turnips for jack-o-lanterns rather than pumpkins.
Consumer Spending
Question: The average U.S. consumer spent the following on Halloween (2016 estimate for decorations, candy, costumes, etc.):
- $35.70
- $82.93
- $105.64
- $115.22
Answer:
- $82.93
Total estimated spending on costumes, decorations, and candy in 2016 reached $8.4 billion. Roughly $2 billion of this is spent on candy specifically. This spending on candy is second only to Christmas.
Stock Market
Question: While the stock market continues to rise, the number of stocks trading has fallen. In 1997, there were more than 2,500 publicly-traded small-cap stocks and over 4,000 tiny “micro-cap” stocks traded. Those levels today are:
- 2,000 & 3,000
- 1,600 & 2,400
- 1,200 & 1,900
- 1,000 & 1,500
Answer:
- 1,200 & 1,900
Recovery Time
Question: While the United States has weathered recessions, impeachments, and numerous wars since 1955, the average time it took to recover from a crisis event back to its preceding level during a bull market has been:
- 5 days
- 38 days
- 2 months
- 7 months
Answer:
- 38 days