Welcome to “From the Trader’s Desk” and my recap of “Dead Cat Bounce”. (I’m just going to say this upfront: I hate that term, but only because I’m a cat momma!)
We open up at the Spartan-Ives sponsored “Thought Leaders” conference, which costs $3,000 to attend. These types of conferences are common, and can be market movers. Certain managers will mention a stock they like (or don’t) and it will move the stock price as they are speaking.
Continuing the rollicking cadence of win/loss and cat/mouse, Billions picks up the pace in an energetic Episode 2.
“Dead Cat Bounce” is book-ended by a fake smile with handshake on one end and a sincere sneer and handshake on the other, going deeper exactly where we need it to go.
Axe is still a nervous cat, but a merry one, as he publically humiliates arch nemesis du jour, Todd Krakow, in the opening scene and continues throughout the episode to dig the claws deeper into the side of this twerp who tried to steal Wendy from him.
Bobby thinks a race course is a good meeting place to discuss how he and Orrin are going to win.
The soundtrack to season 2 seems like it will be every bit as good as season 1.
The Axe capital staff are having a spontaneous conference outside while waiting to get back to work. Apparently, they have been working from home for 3 weeks. Mafee is not buying the “fire extinguisher system malfunction”. I knew there was a reason I like Mafee!
Axe is not letting anyone in until Wags shows up as
“You don’t let the animals in until their keeper is here too!”
Oh, welcome back, Billions. You have been missed!
Oliver Dake from Office of Professional Responsibility shows up to ruin Chuck’s morning. He is there to conduct an investigation into Chuck’s use of his office. It seems Chuck was warned he was coming as he has an office all set up for him.
The animals are allowed in and Axe has certainly ramped up the security, magnetic ID bracelets etc.
Welcome to “From the Trader’s Desk” for the 2nd Season of Billions! The original concept of these posts was to recap of 2-3 episodes from my point of view as a trader, and to help with any confusion with “fin speak”. However, “Risk Management” was so meaty; I had to dive right in. So now, without further ado….
”Trading is gambling, legalized gambling.”
source: Showtime
Those are words I spoke to Damianista on our first meeting. I think she asked me how I got into the financial industry, and I told her I loved to gamble, and found a way to do it legally.
How fitting then is it that we open Season 2 with Axe sitting at a racetrack! Now, I’ll admit, I didn’t know it was Yonkers Raceway. I thought it was Belmont Park, a place my grandfather would take me to as a kid. Axe tells Bach “this place made me”, and I totally understand. Continue reading “From the Trader’s Desk: “Risk Management”, Episode 1 Season 2 of Billions”
Axe is waiting for Wendy out on the street. He is unusually wearing a suit. He comes bearing the gift of a new car as a present for their session in ‘Magical Thinking’. He is just about to go and meet Wags as they are on a capital raise. Wendy thinks Axe is ready, but the investors may not be.
source: Showtime
Lonnie is back at Southern District and Chuck puts him straight on to a tip about criminal activity by Bobby. This cannot be tied to Chuck who tells Lonnie to start with Mick Danzig.
Wags is carrying all of Axe’s paperwork because Axe is the principal who must arrive unburdened, apart from his brilliant ideas. They are on their way to their first capital raising meeting. The first one does not go well with them getting a ‘wait and see’ who else jumps on board.
