Stock Stumpers - Random Trivia Answers

• A1) Franklin Resources Inc.. Better known as Franklin Templeton Investments, the publicly owned investment firm was named in part for Ben Franklin, an idol of founder Rupert Johnson, Sr.
• A2) Sotheby's. The London-based auction house got the symbol before Christie's (private) or eBay (EBAY) could.
• A3) Avis Budget Group, Inc.. The operator of both the Avis and Budget car and truck rental agencies is still trying harder than Hertz (HTZ).
• A4) EchoStar Corporation. The owner of the Dish Network also owns Sling Media, producers of the Slingbox.
• A5) Genentech. The biotechnology corporation started with the symbol GENE in 1980 and shortened it to GNE in 1988 before getting fancy in 1999.
• A6) Brinker International, Inc.. The parent company of Chili's, On the Border Mexican Grill and Cantina, Maggiano's Little Italy, and Romano's Macaroni Grill went public in 1989, fourteen years after the first Chili's Grill & Bar opened in Dallas, Texas.
• A7) Gap Inc.. The specialty retailing company that also sells Old Navy, Banana Republic, Piperlime, and Athleta brand merchandise won't help you navigate your car.
• A8) Harley-Davidson. The motorcycle maker changed its symbol from the boring HDI in 2006. Harleys have been known as hogs since a successful 1920 racing team began using pigs as their mascot.
• A9) Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.. The White Plains, New York-based company owns the Sheraton, Westin, and several other hotel brands.
• A10) Southwest Airlines. The airline took its symbol not just as a marketing message, but also to honor their local Ernest A. Love Field in Phoenix (the airport's code isn't LUV, however; it's PRC for Prescott Municipal Airport).
• A11) Sealed Air Corporation. The New Jersey company manufactures packaging and performance-based materials and equipment systems including Bubble Wrap, Cryovac, Instapak, and Shanklin.
• A12) Westwood One, Inc.. The New York City-based, country-wide radio network was previously managed by CBS Radio.

Stock Stumpers - Random Trivia Questions

2009 was an excellent year for most stock investors with the Dow Jones Industrial Average gaining 18.8%, the Standard & Poor's 500 Index 24.0%, and the Nasdaq Composite Index 43.9%. While the new year is unlikely to match those gains, hopefully the market will be a better place for your money than a piggy bank.

When trading stocks online, you have to be very careful that the stock symbol you enter matches the company you actually wanted to buy. Most symbols are acronyms or abbreviations or variations thereof, which can get confusing with so many companies and so few letters per symbol. Very few companies have unusual symbols that make them more memorable, like BUD for Anheuser-Busch and CAKE for the Cheesecake Factory. If you don't already know the dozen symbols in this week's quiz, you won't forget them after you've seen the answers...

Stock Stumpers Questions

• Q1) BEN
• Q2) BID
• Q3) CAR
• Q4) DISH
• Q5) DNA
• Q6) EAT
• Q7) GPS
• Q8) HOG
• Q9) HOT
• Q10) LUV
• Q11) SEE
• Q12) WON