Area: Finance

Women in front of a stock ticker board Research Brief / Trading

Chinese Investors Learn about Derivatives the Hard Way

An analysis of warrant trading reveals individuals’ poor grasp of complex securities

Illustration of a woman crossing a ravine on top of money Research Brief / Venture Capital

Lending to Startups: Not as Risky as You’d Think

Entrepreneurs borrow between equity funding rounds with a strong record of repaying debts

FDIC logo on a window Research Brief / Banking

Calculating a Value for the Government Support Banks Enjoy

Researchers’ model could quantify the risks in the growing movement to ease up on Dodd-Frank regulations

Illustration of a man and woman pushing grocery carts with equations and clouds as a background Research Brief / Home Mortgages

Mortgage Prepayments: Factors beyond Interest Rate Movements

A model estimates the impact of economic variables on the pricing of prepayment risk

Suburban neighborhood Research Brief / Investing

Single-Family Rentals: What Drives Investor Return?

A unique data set provides fresh insights for the growing institutional investor market

Students walking on a path on campus Research Brief / Diversity

Sizing Up the Measurable Good of Affirmative Action

An economic model sets aside who loses and focuses on efficiency and overall growth

A group of people on separate phone lines Research Brief / Markets

Financial Constraints on Intermediaries Cause Asset Mispricing

Real-world bond data reveals how the capital positions and liquidity of middlemen affect prices of securities they broker

Illustration of a man stressed by laptops, smartphones Research Brief / Investing

How Tech’s Disruption Alters Investors’ Appetite for Risk

New technology’s upending of the old creates demand for alternative assets to offset risk

Street signs Research Brief / Interest Rates

Are Interest Rates Really So Low?

Adjusting for inflation — and, crucially, for taxes — shows bond investors fare better than they might think

Chinese investors having a discussion Research Brief / Investing

In China, Big Investors Have Brilliant Timing ― Or Do They Know Someone?

A scan of a million brokerage accounts finds the wealthy trade ahead of market-moving news

Monochrome picture of children cheering Research Brief / Investing

When Younger Investors Overreact to News, Others Feel It

Inexperienced investors, lacking historical context, impact markets

Illustration of two dice Research Brief / Investing

You Call That Fun? Why Individual Stock Investors Bother

Avanidhar Subrahmanyam studies how some investors’ gambling mentality affects share prices

Bird's eye view of a suburb Research Brief / Housing

The Housing Meltdown Would Have Been Far Worse Without California’s Anti-Foreclosure Laws

Restraining lenders saved hundreds of billions in home value

Road marking - One Way with snow Research Brief / Investing

Bringing a Sharper Focus to the Study of the Decline of Investment Diversification

Research measures the impact of global economic factors on returns

A laptop computer Research Brief / Housing

When Homeowners Confide in Google, Forecasters See Clues to Mortgage Defaults

Researchers developed an index that warns earlier than others about approaching home loan problems

Home with an auction sign on the lawn Research Brief / Home Mortgages

Some Homeowners Pay Their Underwater Mortgages Until the Government Offers a Better Option

Federal loan modification program led borrowers to default