Tag: Billions

From the Trader’s Desk: Die With Your Boots On! Billions S4 E4

If you’re gonna die, die with your boots on
If you’re gonna try, well, stick around
Gonna cry, just move along
If you’re gonna die, you’re gonna die
Die With Your Boots On – Iron Maiden

Damianista and I were lucky enough to get an early screening of this week’s episode (thank you sis!!) at the Classic Car Club of Manhattan. Along with sitting on Axe’s private jet, eating “ortolan”, and playing a few hands of Blackjack, we were also fortunate enough to meet and chat with Dollar Bill and Bryan Connerty themselves, Kelly AuCoin and Toby Leonard Moore. Not only are they great actors, they are true gentlemen! It was an amazing night all around, and I’m so grateful to have shared it with Damianista!!

Continue reading “From the Trader’s Desk: Die With Your Boots On! Billions S4 E4”

The Unbeatable, Unstoppable, Unparalleled MVPs from Billions Season 4 Episode 4

Welcome back to our ‘Billions MVP Fanbook,’ a compilation post commemorating all those in honor of achievement for the utmost brazen, uber shameless, ultra scheming, unmatched bad asses to date – from sports references, music, and tasty food to pop culture remarks, shocking twists and ultimate paybacks.

In case you missed our previous awards, you can catch up with season four episode one, episode two and episode three. Now, let us continue with that tradition as we award our Most Valuable Players (MVPs) this week.

Here are our Billions awards for Season 4, Episode 4, “Overton Window.”

Continue reading “The Unbeatable, Unstoppable, Unparalleled MVPs from Billions Season 4 Episode 4”

From the Trader’s Desk: The Best of Frenemies – Billions S4 E3

You’ll take my life but I’ll take yours too
You’ll fire your musket but I’ll run you through
So when you’re waiting for the next attack
You’d better stand there’s no turning back
The Trooper – Iron Maiden

Hello from the Trader’s Desk! This week, everyone is waiting for the next attack, be it from a friend, an enemy, or a chicken!

As seems to be the new normal, The War Council (Axe, Wags, Wendy) discussing taking down Taylor and TMC. Hall is not having the easiest time getting into TMC security. His counterpart there is someone whom Hall says “is a good man” and “thorough”. (Could Cook have been one of Hall’s minions at one time?) Hall is going to have to earn his paycheck on this assignment. He comes bearing a gift – a thumbdrive with TMC’s positions and trading patterns! It’s not the MOAB  Axe needs, but he can use the info to front-run TMC and take a little of their alpha. Wendy has a better idea: really go big on positions TMC wants to increase, taking a lot of little pieces of profit. Taylor will notice, and because they are such a perfectionist, will try to figure out the problem, taking them off their game. This is where Wendy has value: not knowing the market or stocks, but knowing the way Taylor thinks. Even Hall is impressed by Wendy! Continue reading “From the Trader’s Desk: The Best of Frenemies – Billions S4 E3”

The Unbeatable, Unstoppable, Unparalleled MVPs from Billions Season 4 Episode 3

Welcome back to our ‘Billions MVP Fanbook,’ a compilation post commemorating all those in honor of achievement for the utmost brazen, uber shameless, ultra scheming, unmatched bad asses to date – from sports references, music, and tasty food to pop culture remarks, shocking twists and ultimate paybacks.

In case you missed our previous awards, here is season four episode one and episode two. Now, let us continue with that tradition as we award our Most Valuable Players (MVPs) this week.

Here are our Billions awards for Season 4, Episode 3, “Chickentown.”

Continue reading “The Unbeatable, Unstoppable, Unparalleled MVPs from Billions Season 4 Episode 3”

From the Trader’s Desk: Runnin’ with The Devil – Billions S4 E2

I live my life like there’s no tomorrow
And all I’ve got, I had to steal
Least I don’t need to beg or borrow
Yes I’m livin’ at a pace that kills
Runnin’ With the Devil – Van Halen

Greetings from the Trader’s Desk! I’m going to do things a bit different today. Instead of doing an in-depth recap (my partner in crime Damianista has done an amazing one), I’ll be giving my observations of the various relationships we saw this week. Also, on a good news front, I’ll be having surgery to remove my chemo port this week, and I’ll be on the disabled list for a day or so, so this will have to be a bit condensed. As always, if there is some “fin-speak” you need explained, please let me know!

I want to start with an explanation of what Private Equity is, since it was a big part of the Axe/Rebecca storyline. Private equity is composed of funds and investors that directly invest in private companies. For example, if a firm or an individual invested in Uber (a private company) they will have gotten in early, before the company goes public and IPOs. These investors now have a percentage (or shares) in the company. When the company does go public, the investment could have increased significantly, and now the shares can be sold publicly. Investing in private equity is not a guarantee – sometimes you need to kiss a lot of frogs before you get your Prince! Continue reading “From the Trader’s Desk: Runnin’ with The Devil – Billions S4 E2”