Wall Street's Cult Calculator Turns 30
Matthew Rothman bought an HP 12c financial calculator for his first job out of college in 1989.
Years later, he still has the same calculator. And he still uses it constantly, just like thousands of other 12c enthusiasts.
“Whenever I switch jobs, I just peel the old business card that is on the back and tape my newest one on,” says Mr. Rothman, head of quantitative equity strategies at Barclays Capital in New York.
Thirty years after the launch of the 12c, it’s still commonplace for financial analysts filing into a conference room to set down their calculators next to their papers and cellphones.
