Asst. Prof. Andrey Malenko: Types of Bidders are Key Factor in Corporate Takeovers

The market for corporate control is staggeringly large. In 2007 alone, the value of M&A transactions in the world was $4.8 trillion. Even in the wake of the economic crisis, it’s still a very active market with many complex features. One of these features is the type of bidders involved in a corporate takeover auction. […]

Simon Johnson: Is Europe on the Verge of a Depression, or a Great Inflation?

From the New York Times The news from Europe, particularly from within the euro zone, seems all bad. Interest rates on Italian government debt continue to rise. Attempts to put together a “rescue package” at the pan-European level repeatedly fall behind events. And the lack of leadership from Germany and France is palpable – where […]

Christine Lagarde and the demand for dollars

Source: The New York Times Economix After receiving support from the United States at the critical moment, Christine Lagarde was named Tuesday as the next managing director of the International Monetary Fund. In campaigning for the job, Ms. Lagarde, France’s finance minister, made various promises to emerging markets with regard to improving their relationships with […]

Trying to solve Canada’s household credit crunch

The numbers are staggering: The average family debt in Canada has increased 78 percent over the last two decades, recently hitting $100,000 per family. In the third quarter of 2010, Canadians’ debt-to-disposable income ratio surpassed the US for the first time since the late 1990s. In my home country – I grew up just outside […]