Patent ID: 7877309

Claim:
A computer-implemented method of scoring at least one contributor for the performance of the contributor's recommendation with respect to a single stock, the method comprising: receiving, at a server, a user selection of a contributor from among a plurality of contributors; receiving, at the server, a user selection of a stock from among a plurality of stocks; executing a computer software program on the server to create a score for the contributor's recommendation on the stock relative to a benchmark, the score being determined based on a payoff function that determines the score as a function of a plurality of factors, the factors comprising: i) a benchmark-relative return on the stock, wherein the benchmark-relative return of the stock is a return on the stock relative to a return on a benchmark that corresponds to the stock; and ii) the recommendation made by the contributor; wherein the payoff function for a neutral recommendation on the stock has a maximum score at a baseline benchmark-relative return, and wherein, for a single benchmark-relative return on the stock equal to the baseline benchmark-relative return, the score for a neutral recommendation determined according to the payoff function is greater than both the score determined according to the payoff function for a positive recommendation on the stock and the score determined according to the payoff function for a negative recommendation on the stock; and storing the score in one or more electronic storage media associated with the server.