Columns

Hadas: No auction often beats a bad auction

19 July 2017

Governments and Google are fans of auction theory, which teaches how to extract the highest bids for assets like radio spectrum or online ads. But the branch of economics cannot say if the price is fair. Auctions too often confuse consumers and tarnish the image of capitalism.

Cox: White House kitchen-sink job going down drain

13 July 2017

New CEOs often spend their first months at the helm ejecting all but the proverbial basin: strategy, assets and guidance. Donald Trump is aggressively using the approach to wash out his predecessor's legacy. It's taking too long, though, and impeding chances for fresh policy.

Hadas: Fear not, you can get economics right

12 July 2017

The dismal science struggles to explain such basic issues as persistent disinflation, lingering post-crisis trauma and rising inequality. Unsuitable methodology is the primary culprit. A new “Blackfriars School" can help by asking better questions about what’s really going on.

Holding: Judges owe investors principle, too

11 July 2017

The U.S. Supreme Court has been paying greater interest to securities-related cases. One against tech firm Cyan is the latest. Yet narrow and unpredictable rulings have confused shareholders about everything from insider trading to filing deadlines. Clearer standards are overdue.

Hadas: Currency flexibility is overrated

5 July 2017

The pound’s post-referendum drop has done little to enhance Britain’s balance of payments. No surprise there – in developed economies, exchange rates are a relatively minor factor in trade relations. Fixed currencies have more benefits than costs, as the resurgent euro shows.

Hadas: Time for a big rethink on interest rates

28 June 2017

Central banks are told to worry first about prices. The long-term global trend of low inflation makes that a distraction. The right focus now is on weaning investors off the false highs of easy credit and rising asset prices. Part of the withdrawal is making money more expensive.

Cox: Milan is dark horse in post-Brexit bank race

22 June 2017

The city that taught London about lending lags Paris and Frankfurt in pitching its appeal as a financial center. Fashionable lateness is a Lombard charm. So are fine universities, clever financiers, tax incentives, a strong work ethic – and easy access to beaches and mountains.

Hadas: The constant challenge of deep-set problems

21 June 2017

The deadly fire in London’s Grenfell Tower has exposed the UK’s deeply flawed approach to housing. But serious policy flaws aren’t exclusively British. Americans fail in healthcare and Greeks won’t pay taxes. The only cure is a values revolution.

Cox: NBC’s fake-news foray could have real fallout

16 June 2017

Comcast's $10-bln-a-year network faces a viewer and advertiser backlash over Megyn Kelly's upcoming interview with the founder of Infowars. Backing down would benefit the conspiracy theorist backed by Donald Trump. Only a hard-hitting takedown may help NBC avoid financial pain.

Holding: White House holds trump card in gift suit

15 June 2017

Democrats in Congress filed a third case claiming Donald Trump violated the constitutional ban on presents. All the accusers face long odds of proving they were hurt directly or that the lawsuits belong in court. Impeachment remains the better option for the president's critics.