OUR HISTORY
R. F. Lafferty & Co. was founded in 1946...
Ralph Lafferty, a native of Oregon, has just returned from military service in Europe, where he was a Captain with the 10th Mountain Division. These ski troops experienced heavy fighting in the Northern Italian Campaign...Ralph Lafferty will later become the youngest member of the AMEX’s Board of Governors.
“I told my people right from the start that the way to succeed is always to treat people fairly and squarely. To do exactly what we say we are going to do. The firm was always a very honorable one.”
Ralph Frank Lafferty
The Early Days of Options
1946: LAFFERTY OPENS.... The firm becomes a full member of the American Stock Exchange, with offices at 19 Rector Street, around the corner from the AMEX.
1948: QUICK SUCCESS.... Lafferty has three seats on the AMEX and is recognized as a leading broker’s broker, executing orders for many of the best-known firms of the time.
1952: RECORD TRADE....
Lafferty executes the largest order ever handled by one firm on the AMEX. We bought 189,000 shares of Kaiser-Frazier for E. F. Hutton. This order took two days to complete.
Vintage car at left is the Kaiser Manhattan, introduced in 1952.
1980: 50% OPTIONS...Lafferty’s focus shifts more toward individual investors, and toward options. Lafferty’s quick trades and all-around expertise are legendary.
(Also see Testimonials page.)
1986: TRADING OCNTEST....
1986: TRADING CONTEST...
Lafferty sponsors Grand Prix I, billed as “The World’s Greatest Trading Competition.”
Forty traders, each starting with an account of $10,000, battled it out for 100 days. The winer increased his stake to $25,518 and took away a prize of $10,000 in cash.
Grand Prix II, presented in 1987, awarded a total of $50,000 in cash prizes.
John Muller, a business executive from Irving, Texas, won Grand Prix II by turning an account of $20,000 into $61,138 in 20 weeks. His prize was $25,000 in cash.
1990: GOLD STANDARD...
Lafferty acquires The Sinclair Group.
World-renowned gold authority Jim Sinclair and his associates bring our clients unusual insights about gold and other commodities.
1995: NEW ADDRESS....
Lafferty moves to larger headquarters at 80 Broad Street, occupying the whole 26th floor. You’ll find us two blocks south of the New York Stock Exchange.
Photo at right shows Henry Hackel, President/CEO, and Jay Shartsis, Director of Option Trading.
2007: SHARTSIS OPTION ALERTS...This new trading methodology, in development for more than 10 years, is introduced in 2007. Uniquely from Lafferty & Co.
