Which current winter Olympic sport was previously a summer one? How many times have rookie professional baseball managers taken their teams back to the playoffs? What decade exhibited the same low market volatility as we’ve experienced in the last year? Test your knowledge in this latest edition of "Did You Know?".
WINTER OLYMPICS
Question: Which current Winter Olympic sport was previously held in the Summer Olympics?
- Luge
- Speed Skating
- Bobsledding
- Figure Skating
Answer:
- Figure Skating
Both figure skating and ice hockey were originally summer Olympic sports but transitioned to the Winter Olympics when the games debuted in 1924. Men’s hockey ran into an issue in 1948 when two teams, backed by rival hockey associations, showed up to the St. Moritz Winter Olympics claiming to be the rightful squad. The team backed by the professional organization eventually took the ice, but faced “boos” from the amateur-backed team who had to sit in the stands.
MARKET VOLATILITY
Question: Despite a tumultuous year politically and socially, the markets exhibited very little volatility. In what decade did we last see this type of low volatility*?
- 1980s
- 1970s
- 1960s
- 1950s
* Volatility is defined here as daily % change in S&P 500 over a 12-month rolling average.
Answer:
- 1960s
The last time we’ve seen this type of market calm was the 1960s – a tumultuous decade in its own right. An unpopular war, a battle to end Jim Crowe, threats of nuclear war, three of the most significant political assassinations in U.S. history, and the U.S. equity market were not phased. This is a good reminder that fundamental economics drive equity markets, not social or political emotion.
Source: Financial Times
2018 WORLD SERIES
Question: You might be asking why we didn’t look to the favored Yankees for our American League World Series pick. Both the Yankees and the Red Sox hired rookie managers to helm 2017-playoff teams. This has happened 25 times in the MLB since 1969. Of these 25 instances, how many times did the rookie manager take the team back to the playoffs?
- 20
- 17
- 13
- 11
Answer:
- 11
Only 44% of rookie managers helming a playoff team have taken that team back to the playoffs. An even smaller percentage has won a world series. With the offseason addition of Giancarlo Stanton, the Yankees may have the best line-up in the league, but history suggests that Aaron Boone will have a difficult time taking them to the World Series in 2018.
Source: Boston Globe
THE S&P 500
Question: The S&P returned over 20% in 2017. How many years has the S&P 500 returned 20% or more in a single year since 1926?
- 48
- 34
- 29
- 18
Answer:
- 34
The S&P 500 has returned over 20% 34 times in the last 90 years. By contrast, the S&P 500 has lost 20% only 6 years since 1926.