As we sift through the debris of the last economic crisis, we are reminded again that most business disasters can be traced back to bad risk taking. In particular, when managers over reach and expose their businesses to the wrong type of risks or too much risk, investors in these firms...

The equity risk premium is the price of risk in equity markets, and it is not just a key input in estimating costs of equity and capital in both corporate finance and valuation, but it is also a key metric in assessing the overall market. Given its importance, it is surprising how haphazard the...

The equity risk premium is the price of risk in equity markets, and it is not just a key input in estimating costs of equity and capital in both corporate finance and valuation, but it is also a key metric in assessing the overall market. Given its importance, it is surprising how haphazard the...

In early February of 2020, when US equities were hitting all-time highs and the US economy was showing strength, a virus, that many believed would be isolated to China and cruise ships, surged into the rest of the world. The resulting economic shut down put stocks into a tailspin, starting the...

For much of the last century, value investors considered themselves to be the winners in the investment world, a result they attributed to their patience, maturity and good sense. That view, at least on the surface, was backed up by evidence that “value” stocks, defined as stocks that trade...

For decades, private companies planning to enter public markets have used bankers operating as intermediaries, helping them decide on issue timing and pricing, and in meeting disclosure requirements. That banker-led process has always had inefficiencies, but without clear alternatives, companies...

As companies and investors globalize, we are increasingly faced with estimation questions about the risk associated with this globalization. When investors invest in China Mobile, Infosys or Vale, they may be rewarded with higher returns, but they are also exposed to additional risk. When...

Much of financial theory and practice is built on the presumption that markets are liquid. In a liquid market, you should be able to buy or sell any asset, in any quantity, at the prevailing market price and with no transactions costs. Using that definition, no asset is completely liquid and...

As companies and investors globalize, we are increasingly faced with estimation questions about the risk associated with this globalization. When investors invest in China Mobile, Infosys or Vale, they may be rewarded with higher returns, but they are also exposed to additional risk. When...