Monika Brown

Writer

About

Monika Brown is a freelancer in data visualization. She previously worked as a trader at UBS, Goldman Sachs and several hedge funds before starting a second career in data analysis and data visualization. She holds an MBA from UC Berkeley, a B.A. from Brown University and, more recently, an M.Sc. in data science and advanced analytics from Nova IMS.

High angle blurred view of pillars forming green dollar sign Research Brief / Investing

A Different Way to Evaluate Private Equity Performance

An approach tailored to investor risk appetite and more comparable to stocks

A black and white illustration of a wave made of 100-dollar bills Research Brief / Investing

Across 145 Years and 17 Countries, a Common Thread in Risky Credit Booms

Do investors misprice assets, revise their risk appetite or make some other misjudgment?

A lone red char in empty office. Research Brief / Investing

As Concentrated Shareholder Ownership Rises, Wages and Employment Suffer

Where big investors gather, corporate wealth is reallocated away from workers

A cargo ship loaded with cargo container sits at a dock in Iceland Research Brief / Pricing

Measuring the Impact of Currency Moves on Consumer Prices

It varies across goods and services and can be blunted by monetary policy

A screen grab of the Volunteer Match website that reads "How do I?' on an orange and white background. Research Brief / Algorithm

Matching Algorithms Work Fine — Until Bypassed By External Links

How to rebalance supply and demand amid today’s chaotic internet traffic

An illustration of a man at the end of a cliff trying to pull up a coin tied to a string Research Brief / Markets

Options Market Signals Scope of Federal Reserve Interventions

Traders see an implicit promise beyond specific asset purchases

An image of the national debt amount Research Brief / Debt

How Much Debt Can the Government Roll Over Forever?

Public bonds compete against other investments; a model of that relationship

People with luggage standing under an awning waiting for rids next to an Uber sign. Research Brief / Ride-Sharing Services

A Matching Mechanism to Reduce Uber/Lyft Customer Wait, Improve Revenue

Queuing models aren’t simple but offer big potential service improvements

A nest thermostat on the wall reads 25 degrees Research Brief / Energy

Improving Utility Calculations on Energy Demand to Reduce Costs

Power companies haven’t maximized the benefits of customers agreeing to short-term electricity interruptions

A view of a petrochemical plant at night Research Brief / Competition

Sunk Costs Work as Barrier to Exit

Firms endure losses in hopes of a turnaround

A cityscape at sunset overlaid with a grid of lighted network Research Brief / Banking

Banks Transmit Financial Shocks, Including from Natural Disasters

How a localized flood may result in fewer loans to a far-off community

The exterior of a bank in Greece is shown as a man in a blue shirt walks in front of it. Research Brief / Banking

In a Crisis, Solvent Borrowers are Overcharged, Subsidizing Troubled Bank Clients

An unusual data trove from Greece’s economic collapse reveals the practice

The old Continental Illinois building in Chicago Research Brief / Finance

Sorting Out Conflicts of Interest in Commercial Loan Syndicates

Syndicate voting rules reflect varying levels of trust and familiarity

A crowd of people holding numbered range bidding paddles Research Brief / Strategy

What Causes Overbidding in Auctions?

Does it come down to poor valuations or poor strategy?