The Market is on FIRE! But is it Catching or Mockingjay?

Happy Hunger Games! And May the Odds Be Ever…Stable?

Well folks if I've learned anything from being the Mockingjay it's that chaos is just another Tuesday. And apparently the New York Stock Exchange feels the same way. According to the bigwigs over there the recent market kerfuffle is just a walk in the woods – a slightly more stressful walk where bears are replaced by billionaires and arrows by…algorithms? Anyway they're saying that despite the Dow doing the 'can can' and the S&P 500 resembling a toddler's scribbles the market infrastructure is totally fine. Like Peeta with a cake it's all about stability right?

From Buttonwood Tree to Billion Dollar Bonanza

Apparently this whole stock market thing started with twenty four brokers hanging out under a tree. A BUTTONWOOD tree mind you. Sounds suspiciously like the Capitol making us celebrate some obscure historical event. Anyway they claim the NYSE has evolved from shouting matches to a 'blend of human judgment and state of the art technology.' Translation: some folks still yell 'buy!' while others frantically type on glowing screens. But hey at least they're not drawing names out of a reaping ball…yet.

Designated Market Makers?! More Like Designated Survivors!

So these 'designated market makers' are apparently the heroes of this financial Games. They've been taking manual control of the opening and closing auctions like when I had to manually aim my bow at a Gamemaker's lunch. Apparently this flexibility has led to MORE trading activity. I guess when people are scared they start buying and selling like they're trying to outrun a genetically modified mutt.

Faster Than a Tracker Jacker!

The system's been sped up and now trades 'settle' faster than you can say 'May the odds be ever in your favor.' I'm not sure what 'settling' even means but they say it increases certainty and diminishes risk. If only they could settle my taxes that quickly. Now THAT would be a game worth playing.

Trillions and Microseconds and...Oh My!

Apparently they processed over a trillion orders in a single day with a median processing time of around 30 microseconds. I am not a math person. But that sounds really REALLY fast. Faster than my bow. Faster than Foxface stealing berries. I wonder if they could use that technology to deliver bread to District 12. Now that would be progress!

Knowledge is Power! Or At Least Keeps You From Starving!

The point is they've been preparing for this. They've invested in tech innovation and apparently a whole lot of coffee for their teams. And they’re constantly guided by what they called 'north star of protecting the integrity of the U.S. market infrastructure.' It's nice to know someone's got a plan even if that plan involves spreadsheets instead of arrows. In the end it's all about having a reserve of knowledge and experience. Just like knowing which berries are safe to eat. And that my friends can be the difference between surviving and becoming a statistic.