Pub quiz showdown: Alphaville vs Unhedged

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Ethan Wu (0:36)

Thank Pushkin.

Katie Martin (0:39)

Okay, listeners, be excited. This is a special edition of the Unhedged podcast. I'm Katie Martin, and I'm the FT Markets Editor in London. Now, FT superfans may already be familiar with the FT Alphaville Pub Quiz, which was held in a real pub, sort of, last week. Now, we had so much fun that this week on the show, we're bringing the pub quiz to the Unhedged podcast, and I will be your host.

So I expect you're wondering, listeners, just what the biggest brains in the FT are up to. Just how knowledgeable are they? How clever are they? Sadly, they weren't available, but I have assembled two other teams to compete for glory.

We have, in the blue corner, in London, FT Alphaville in the form of Robin Wigglesworth and Alex Scaggs.

Robin Wigglesworth (1:24)

I almost walked out when I heard that big brain scab, but, you know, I'm looking forward to wiping the floor with our opponents, so we're gonna stay.

Katie Martin (1:31)

Fighting talk. And over in New York, we have the Unhedged squad, Rob Armstrong and Ethan Wu. Say hello, guys.

Robert Armstrong (1:39)

We're ready for total victory.

Ethan Wu (1:41)

Undefeated for 200 years. Let's go, America.

Katie Martin (1:43)

One of the fun things about this is that I don't think that Americans really understand what pub quizzes are. So this is like a kind of podcast pub quiz.

Robin Wigglesworth (1:52)

Yes.

Katie Martin (1:52)

And listeners, let me tell you, it could go horribly wrong, but the rules are as follows.

I have written 10 questions. My decision is final on the victor on each of these questions. So a question will go to each team in turn. The team that has received the question will have a minute timed on my phone, very high tech here, to answer the question. If they get it right, they get one billion points.

And then we flip to the next team and then we decide who is the winner. The loser has to write something very nice about the other team on their platform in the next few days. Does everyone understand the rules?

Robin Wigglesworth (2:31)

I'm already looking forward to the unhatched note about Alphaville.

Katie Martin (2:35)

Okay, well, you'll be delighted to hear then, Robin, that the first question goes to team Alphaville.

Orange Juice Futures now trade at about $4 per pound for the first time since they began trading in 1966 In percent, how much is the price up this year? Is it A, 27%, B, 48%, or C, 95%?

Robin Wigglesworth (3:01)

I know they're up a lot this year, aren't they, Alice?

Alexandra Scaggs (3:03)

Yeah, yeah, I think a lot.

Robert Armstrong (3:05)

That's kind of implicit in the question, Robin.

Robin Wigglesworth (3:11)

Yes, so how are we defining a lot? I looked at the chart, it definitely looked more like 95%.

Alexandra Scaggs (3:16)

You looked at the chart, that's good.

Robin Wigglesworth (3:18)

I have looked at the chart at some point this year, but it's lodged somewhere in the memory banks.

Alexandra Scaggs (3:22)

Yeah, something about the weather in Florida, probably, means that they're up. This is me being very smart.

Robin Wigglesworth (3:31)

Yeah, this is our systematic investment process at work. What do you think, 48 or 95?

Alexandra Scaggs (3:38)

If it looked like 95 when you looked, and this is like historic.

Robin Wigglesworth (3:43)

I remember it going up a lot, essentially, saying, oh wow, that's kind of interesting, and it's the trading places commodity, right? So it's kind of sexy and fun.

Alexandra Scaggs (3:50)

Yeah, we're going to say the number went up by a lot.

Robin Wigglesworth (3:53)

Yeah, by a lot.

Alexandra Scaggs (3:54)

So 95%.

Robin Wigglesworth (3:55)

95%.

Katie Martin (3:57)

Perfect with the timing. Okay, so you are saying that Orange Juice futures are so far this year up 95%.

You are correct.

Alexandra Scaggs (4:08)

A billion points, which is, I think, 10 US points. Yeah. According to the current exchange rate.

Robin Wigglesworth (4:14)

Yes, exactly.

Robert Armstrong (4:15)

I'm lodging a complaint.

Ethan Wu (4:17)

Lucky guess.

Katie Martin (4:19)

No complaints, no correspondence will be entered into.