Forecasting in the business and investing world is an art -- in other words, totally not a science. Most "experts" who try to make binary predictions don't even get their guesses right half the time. But that never stops Motley Fool Money host Chris Hill from asking his colleagues to make "reckless predictions."
In this segment from the Motley Fool Money podcast, senior analyst Jason Moser prognosticates about why Apple (AAPL +0.01%) would do well to scoop up mobile-payment player Square (SQ 1.48%), while Ron Gross goes way out there -- with a forecast about Mars.
A full transcript follows the video.
This video was recorded on Jan. 4, 2019.
Chris Hill: Reckless predictions for 2019. What do you have, Jason?
Jason Moser: I was thinking about going with the Red Sox repeating as World Series champions. Then I thought about it, that's not that far-fetched, really. I'm calling it, they're going to repeat. That's not my reckless prediction.
I'll go with a more business-related story here. I was talking earlier about the potential acquisitions that Apple could be looking at here. What would stop them from wanting to acquire Square? You want to look at expanding your business and becoming a little bit more of an integral part of the commerce scene here, not only domestically but globally. I think Square and Apple have a lot in common. They're both in the business of developing sleek hardware that people like to use, generating some pretty strong brand loyalty there. Then, we know, of course, the payments space is one that's growing very quickly.
I'm not saying it'll happen, but it's certainly an acquisition that Apple would be capable of executing. Maybe it will happen.
Hill: Ron?
Ron Gross: I went a little off the rails here. There's going to be more definitive signs of previous life discovered on Mars in 2019. That's going to build off of the work done by the Mars Curiosity Rover that, earlier in 2018, found some organic molecules. We'll figure out where those actually came from and build on that. There aren't going to be any signs of actual Martians running around --
Hill: Or will there?
Gross: -- but I think we're going to see signs of some previous life.
Moser: All right, reckless prediction No. 2: Ron Gross and Jason Moser will be heading up the new Motley Fool Space Investing service to launch either late 2019 or 2020.
Gross: [laughs] Sell that short.
Hill: I'm just going to say that regardless of where free agent Bryce Harper ends up, the Washington Nationals are going to the World Series.
Moser: Wow! That is reckless!
Gross: I'll take that bet.
Check out the latest Apple and Square earnings call transcripts.
