The Associate (1996)

Trader's Film Library #83 · Markets and trading in fiction. A comedy about an analyst who has to invent a male partner to get Wall Street to listen to her.

Original title: The Associate · Type: film · Created by: Donald Petrie · Usefulness for traders: ★★☆☆☆

What it's about

Laurel Ayres (Whoopi Goldberg) is a brilliant Wall Street analyst, but the promotion goes to a less able colleague. She starts her own firm and, so that clients will even talk to her, invents a fictitious partner: a white man named Robert S. Cutty. Soon the whole industry is raving about a genius who doesn't exist. A remake of the 1979 French film “L'Associé”.

What it has to do with markets

A comedy, but with an accurate observation: in the market people often judge an idea by who presents it, not by the analysis itself. It shows well how reputation and image affect the flow of capital.

Lessons for traders

• judge the idea, not the person presenting it (the halo effect, Atlas of biases #29)
• good analysis without credibility won't attract capital
• a market “genius” is often a story, not a track record (the narrative fallacy, Atlas of biases #26)

What to watch out for

A light 1990s comedy. It says little about market analysis.

Discussion

The discussion takes place in Hetman Capital Club (in Polish). Join the discussion in the Club →

Navigation

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The description outlines the plot without revealing the ending where possible (true stories have a known outcome). Educational content, not investment advice.