Reminiscences of a Stock Operator, Chapter 23 summary
Chapter 23 of 24 · 15 min to read the chapter
In Chapter 23, Larry Livingston argues that anonymous bullish reports help insiders sell stock while misleading the public about falling prices and weakening businesses. He uses New Haven and Intervale Oil to show how blaming bears encourages outsiders to keep holdings that informed sellers are abandoning.
What happens
- Larry acknowledges stronger exchange rules but argues that speculation remains difficult because of human weakness, expanding markets, and deliberate misinformation.
- He describes insiders quietly buying before good news becomes public, then encouraging public purchases through anonymous optimistic reports.
- When business weakens, insiders quietly sell while reports blame bears, encouraging outsiders to hold stock that keeps falling.
- New Haven illustrates how insider selling and misleading assurances accompany a collapse from a sum of money to a sum of money.
- An Intervale Oil pool sells while blaming Larry for the decline, leaving outsiders waiting for a recovery.
- Larry closes by warning against explanations that serve unnamed insiders rather than inform the public.

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In this chapter
Quick check
What explanation does the Intervale Oil pool give for the stock’s weakness?

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