Peer-to-Peer Equity Research

By Paul Kedrosky · Sunday, January 9, 2005 ·

Ross Mayfield has created an interesting Flickr group called Parking Lot Indicatr. The idea: Have people take pictures during non-business hours of parking lots at public companies under the theory that it means something:

Off-hour parking lot density is a leading indicator of stock performance. Post pictures of parking lots of publicly traded companies anytime except 9to5 M-F.

While I have yet, ahem, to see any refereed research on Ross's theory, I have espoused it too -- and I love the application. More seriously, this sort of idea fits in with my peer-to-peer weather musings here -- how about peer-to-peer equity research? I wouldn't necessarily rely on other people's financial analysis, but I would happily see whatever primary data they can collect.

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