Finance & accounting

It’s a pivotal moment for the U.S. and global economies, and the U.S. Federal Reserve holds a key position of influence. Professor Frank Warnock, a former Fed economist and current research adviser with the Fed, discusses the tools available and possible next steps for the Fed as the Biden administration steps in.

Why would oil producers continue to pump oil despite an excess supply globally and a shortage in storage space? Darden Professors Elena Loutskina and Daniel Murphy examine how oil prices went negative (and could again), collateralized debt and oil producers’ relationships with lenders, and broader implications for the oil market.

Darden Professor Rich Evans recently published study of mutual fund managers’ performance which demonstrates that significantly different outcomes occur when employees get paid to compete against each other — versus when they are compensated for cooperating.

Darden Professor James Naughton calls the situation facing multiemployer pensions — plans in which workers from various employers pay into a single plan — a disaster, largely due to a combination of inadequate funding and risky investing. The impact of the chronic underfunding could be far-reaching.

The financial statements and supporting disclosures required of public companies have the reputation for being dense, impenetrable documents. But when you reach the point you can “read” the story behind the numbers, you can understand a company’s strategy and its trajectory — not only where it has been, but, potentially, where it is headed.

Exchange traded funds (ETFs) have grown in popularity as a tool for targeting specific groups of investments. How do they affect the market? Darden Professor Rich Evans and Maureen O’Hara of Cornell’s S.C. Johnson College of Business discuss industry ETFs and their influence on market efficiency.

The coronavirus pandemic has devastated large portions of the global economy and spurred an enormous government response to stem the fallout. Darden Professor Kinda Hachem considers the state of the U.S. economy and the extraordinary efforts underway to prevent further collapse.

The importance of a culture that respects different perspectives: What does political ideology have to do with mutual funds? Profit. Darden Professor Rich Evans’ research shows that funds managed by teams with diverse political views perform better than those with similar political beliefs. Here, he elaborates on the study and an important caveat.

Raising venture capital isn’t for the faint of heart, but the challenges are magnified for female founders. Professors Saras Sarasvathy and Elena Loutskina share insights on barriers women face to raising risk capital and how to overcome them.

What can railroad bonds from 150 years ago teach us about globalization, portfolio diversification and the cost of financial market segmentation? At a time when markets are increasingly isolated globally and limit opportunities to invest abroad, new research examines what investors are willing to pay to gain access to investment in foreign markets