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The Comparing Trap

Harvard Business Review

Robert Merton was 46 when he won the award. He and two other economists created the trading process called Black-Scholes that impacted the ways financial markets were informed and influenced. Merton had the office on the other side of my office. Bob Merton was as gracious and supportive as the colleague I mentioned earlier.

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CEOs Don’t Care Enough About Capital Allocation

Harvard Business Review

It’s been more than 50 years since Nobel prizewinners Franco Modigliani and Merton Miller identified return on investments as a major component of value creation (and value destruction). Financial analysis Financial management' This failure to even mention return on capital seems perverse.

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What an Economist Brings to a Business Strategy

Harvard Business Review

In the 1900s, French mathematician-economist Leon Walras envisioned prices in a market economy being set by an auctioneer (since known as the “Walrasian auctioneer”) conducting continuous auctions for all kinds of commodities. Economists and market design. Admittedly, better pricing of options has been a mixed blessing.

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If the SEC Measured CEO Pay Packages Properly, They Would Look Even More Outrageous

Harvard Business Review

And, for reasons explained below, ARG tends to be significantly higher than EFV, especially when the stock market is booming. Especially when the stock market is on the rise, total ARG compensation tends to be much higher than total EFV compensation. million (57% from stock-based pay). million (70% from stock-based pay).

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The Irish Banking Crisis: A Parable

Harvard Business Review

In slightly more formal terms, Id suggest that they were able to take on, at least in tiny part, five of Robert Merton and Zvi Bodies six standard functions of a financial system: settling payments, providing information, setting incentives, pooling resources, and transferring resources.

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Three Times You Have to Speak Up

Harvard Business Review

I was thinking about that story by Thomas Merton during a recent board meeting. Recent market updates, a technical deconstruction of various trends, then product frameworks — all in quick succession. We don't get to optimize all products, go after all markets, or add all programs. One board member sighed deeply.

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