The Neo-Market Report

By stereolab

And now it's time to drop in on Neopia's foremost financial forecasters. Visiting our hosts today will be Cappa Torville, President of Hakaheke Island Flights. Cappa will be here to talk about Hakaheke's plans to cash in the recent discovery of The Lost Desert. And now, here are Neil and Maria…

KAUVUTO: Hello and thank you for joining us here at The Neo-Market Report. I am your host Neil Kauvuto, and as always I am joined the charming and lovely Maria Blumaroono, who's here with all the latest news from the world of finance. Maria, how are things shaping up on the exchange today?

BLUMAROONO: Well Neil, the discovery of The Lost Desert has had a profound effect on a number of Neodaq companies. One big winner has been Böda Furnishings, whose share value jumped a whopping twenty-one points this week as Neopians look to decorate their new Lost Desert NeoHomes. According to Sven the Eyrie, Böda's Director of Operations, "Our craftsmen have worked nonstop to come up with new motifs that bring out the feel of this new desert land, and I have to say that I am absolutely ecstatic with their designs. I really think The Lost Desert will have a tremendous impact on trends within the world of interior decoration, resulting in a new, ultra-minimalist style."

KAUVUTO: On the other hand, the discovery of The Lost Desert has actually hurt other companies. One such casualty has been Kacheek and Sons Landscaping, who've seen their business decline as Neopians rush to move into the arid terrain of the desert. When asked about the impact The Lost Desert will have on his company's fortunes, Bentolo the Kacheek said, "C'mon, it's a desert…how are you supposed to cultivate a garden in that kind of climate? I mean, it's all sand. That's no place to build a home, if you ask me…"

BLUMAROONO: Well, one company who's looking to cash in on Neopia's fascination with The Lost Desert is that of our next guest. As the President of Hakaheke Island Flights, Cappa Torville has seen his company's stock price plummet during this latest economic crunch. However, the arrival of The Lost Desert just might be the remedy for Hakaheke's recent financial woes. Cappa, thank you for joining us…

CAPPA: Maria, thanks for inviting me back. I had a lot of fun during my last visit, so I'm really glad to stop by once again.

BLUMAROONO: Now, things haven't been going so well lately…

CAPPA: Yeah, it's been pretty tough for most everybody these past few months. After seeing our value drop from forty NPs to four in early May, we were slowly but surely on our way to recovery, getting our share value back into the high teens. However, throughout June our stock price dropped once again. As the economy continued to tighten, there wasn't much room for luxury travel. But I get the feeling that that's about to change…

KAUVUTO: Which is what we're here to talk about…there have been a number of rumours that Hakaheke will try to take advantage of Neopia's fascination with The Lost Desert by setting up some sort of tourism/safari service. Cappa, would you care to enlighten us as to the validity of such rumours?

CAPPA: Neil, I'm not here to make any news today, but I will say that it is something that we've looked into. I mean, right now everybody's talking about The Lost Desert, so it would be foolish on our part to not even consider it. So that's where we're at right now; we're doing the research, gauging the demand, weighing the costs…

BLUMAROONO: So you are saying that it is a possibility?

CAPPA: Well certainly, anything's possible; but like I said, once we've done our homework, then we'll decide whether this is something we want to undertake. The thing is, even if we decide to do it, then we have to come up with the funds to launch such an operation. Offering service to The Lost Desert is a project that will take an awful lot of financial backing to get off the ground… so that's a factor, as well.

BLUMAROONO: Well, there you have it, folks. It looks like that's about all the time that we have for this week. For Neil Kauvuto and Cappa Torville, this is Maria Blumaroono saying thank you and so long…