NEW YORK, NY – JULY 13: Colgate University President Jeffrey Herbst rings the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange on July 13, 2012 in New York City. (Photo Ben Hider/NYSE Euronext)
Colgate President Jeffrey Herbst joined members of the Colgate community to ring the bell 13 times to open the New York Stock Exchange on Colgate Day, Friday the 13th.
The purpose was to raise awareness for the announcement of the results of the $480 million Passion for the Climb campaign.
So why Friday the 13th? As you might know, Colgate was started by 13 men with 13 dollars and 13 prayers. So what does that mean for the markets?
“The stock market has been up about 58 percent of the time on Friday the 13th,” said Joseph S. Hope, director of investments at Colgate.
Wills Hapworth, one of the founders of the Thought Into Action Institute for entrepreneurs at Colgate, made the following observation about starting a business on Friday the 13th:
“My feeling is you have to be in it to win it. Whether it is Friday the 13th, or next month, you have to get your shots on goal. Simply put: the harder you work the luckier you get.”
Here is the video of the opening bell: