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WSJ Reporter Mark Maremont on how private and corporate plane records could help investors, such as hinting at potential merger talks.
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All know that the FAA keeps track of our commercial flights how ever.
Private plane travel information is harder to come -- but that may soon change and it may provide investors.
What valuable investment information take a look at this -- It shows the private plane flights taken by the CEO of qwest.
And century a link as they talk about merging their companies.
Joining us now is mark -- -- from the Wall Street Journal but reporter who broke the story fascinating story.
Mark how many flight path to do have to start investigating.
And the compiled before you got a sense of what.
These companies were doing.
Well thanks for having me Cheryl.
Well we did was we actually -- filed a Freedom of Information Act requests for all the flights recorder by the FA -- air traffic control system over the last four years.
And we analyzed.
A bunch of from mergers that have taken place over the last three years.
And found are hopeful are you lose it's pretty clear from -- plaudits that you could have known.
Our could have guessed at least from the flights that there was some kind of merger talks -- some -- talks going on.
For example on that -- situation.
Request.
-- -- jets were flying from its Denver headquarters to Monroe Louisiana which is not a typical punishment for.
-- -- have not flown there -- some of least the start of 2000 felt.
Also may start flying their in the worth three or four flights from a few months had you been able to know about this information.
At the time and what to into the other possibly could have known that there was some merger talks -- -- -- country in line.
Was eventually was announced early last year.
I would know when -- Hello I'm mark another one your friend brother -- with me here to mark up the milling questioning over the Wall Street.
Journal reporter you're good -- what you do you put this information.
What level of sophistication.
Are we talking about in terms and an investor that you would actually be able to use this information and make money off it.
Well I think there's two possibilities one is there are some investor has a particular interest in a particular company and -- current.
You know -- -- have been able to track their particular company -- her room.
I suspect that there are mean there's hedge funds who have want senators -- people.
Just amazing capability database capabilities.
And if this sort of information was available what's ultimately get into a few minutes.
-- -- real time or near real time basis they could.
Relatively easily set up filters for -- added 200 public companies and -- -- and potential merger partners that they might.
You know that might be having talks swept them that there's a flight between American cities and a little alert systems that are so.
It's not that are maybe different -- -- -- only resource.
Rich.
Hedge funds could do it but I think that -- it's certainly could be possible.
-- you Jim here's the thing you're an investor and he's right.
The hedge funds because they do have really good analysis good talk to track those but the critics of this of making all those public.
-- this could lead to corporate espionage -- think that's a problem or concern.
Remember I really did enjoy the story.
I just felt -- -- question of bombed.
More or less transparency and and and did you want more of it and you want that information available to all those who can go to this website and look -- Where do you want to leave it -- opaque.
And I I believe the -- -- case had a lot to do with the use of expert networks so this information is available now but it's available -- channels in my opinion.
Are truly available to only that that the well -- it's illegal now but I don't that it was only available to those with the most capital most resources that to -- sounded much like espionage than putting something online that anyone can track.
And only those to -- -- those invested that choose to actually commit resources to it.
Might be able to benefit fort.
By the way the mergers may not have happened around that the meeting could have taken place and -- of the day fell apart so there's still that risks being taken.
That if you're gonna speculate that the meeting was successful.
I still think that's not that that's wrist payment.
Omar it's a great story in and then and heck of a lot of research you guys put into it really appreciate coming up from the wall street journal of course our corporate partners partner -- thank you mark.
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