The World Cup might be slowing down trading activity on Wall Street and financial markets around the world. According to the Washington Post, the number of stock trades dropped an average of 45 percent in countries that were playing during the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
A study conducted by the European Central Bank shows that traders weren't focusing on making money when games were on.
In Chile, stock activity dropped 83 percent while the Chilean national team was on the field in South Africa. Argentina's activity fell 40 percent while other countries were playing.
Michael Ehrmann and David-Jan Jansen from the European Central Bank said, "We conclude that stock markets were following developments on the soccer pitch rather than in the trading pit."
Previous studies have indicated that if a country loses a major international game, stock trades drop even more.
On top of losing 45 percent of production during a World Cup game, executives on Wall Street and in other financial markets are not celebrating when a goal is scored. The study showed that goals slow the stock trading another five percent.
