2013’s Best of Friday Charts

Submitted by Wall St. Daily as part of our contributors program

Wall Street Daily readers often rejoice when Friday rolls around.

As most of you know by now, it’s when we let some carefully selected charts do (most of) the talking for us. And based on the amount of praise it gets, I’m getting more and more concerned that the Wall Street Daily Nation doesn’t know how to read.

Now, since it’s such a popular weekly edition, it wasn’t easy narrowing them down to the top five of the year.

So you can rest assured that the following posts represent the hands-down most provocative chart editions we could find.

Enjoy!

Killer Chart #5:
Using “Redneck Intelligence” to Gauge the Economy’s Health

If you live anywhere in the South, you might be accused of being a redneck if you own a pickup truck. (I know, because it’s happened to me.) Chances are, though, that you’re a small business owner, too. As I had noted before, small business owners account for a large portion of pickup sales, particularly Ford (F) F-Series trucks. That means, by gauging sales of F-Series trucks, we can track the health of the economy. And based on this chart, there was no mistaking the underlying trend back in May.

Killer Chart #4:
Ballmer’s Resignation Letter Summarized in a Single Image

When Microsoft (MSFT) CEO Steve Ballmer retired, we shared a chart that could have doubled as his resignation letter. In short, he completely missed out on the biggest technological shift in our generation – away from personal computers and toward smartphones. Ouch!

Killer Chart #3:
The Most Outrageous Economic Stimulus Plan Ever

In February, I showed you the most alternative economic stimulus plan out there: Americans with jobs should stop working so hard, so Americans without jobs can finally get one. Why? Because research out of Deutsche Bank had demonstrated that declines in productivity do, indeed, lead to hiring booms. In other words, go ahead and take an extra-long lunch break today in the name of economic stimulus!

Killer Chart #2:
3,907 Stocks Suddenly Vanish Overnight

Last month, we investigated the sudden disappearance of nearly 4,000 stocks since 1997. And they weren’t being replaced via initial public offerings. Despite the disappearing acts, though, the total market value of all publicly traded stocks since 1997 had increased 2.4%, to $21.4 trillion. In other words, we were seeing more money chasing after fewer opportunities, which naturally leads to higher prices and price-to-earnings ratios.

Killer Chart #1:
R.I.P Bitcoin… It’s Been Real

It’s no surprise that Bitcoin has dominated our top five categories this year. Investors just can’t seem to get enough of the dreaded cryptocurrency. Hopefully this chart acted as a wake-up call for some of you!

Did your favorite chart make the cut? Let us know by leaving a comment on our website.

Plus, be sure to tune in Monday for the next five articles to make Wall Street Daily’s 2013 hall of fame.

Ahead of the tape,

Louis Basenese

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