On disclosure: The hydraulic theory
We know that people respond to incentives, and that behavior will adjust in response to relative changes in price. But I think it’s commonly assumed that the only relevant price change attributable to disclosure regulations is the nominal change in direct costs of compliance. Sure, we all understand that if shareholder or regulatory pressure is ... On disclosure: The hydraulic theory
Hedge Fund Registration Requirement
The hedge fund registration requirements debated extensively in the blawgosphere a few months back (see, e.g., here, here, and here) will take effect on Wednesday of next week. According to this article in the W$J, so far 530 hedge fund advisers have registered and a few hundred more are expected before Wednesday. Recent estimates put ... Hedge Fund Registration Requirement
The Perils(?) of Educating Judges on Economics
Yesterday’s New York Times editorialized on my favorite recent non-story — the one about Justice Scalia’s failure to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Chief Justice Roberts. C’mon guys. As lesser newspapers have already reported, Justice Scalia was in Colorado to teach a previously scheduled ten-hour seminar over two days. He received no honorarium for his ... The Perils(?) of Educating Judges on Economics
Disney/Pixar Deal and Omnicare
The Disney/Pixar deal is a hot topic in the blawgosphere (see, e.g., here, here, here and here), so I want to join in. I took a quick look at the transaction documents (they’re now available here on the SEC’s website) and noticed that Steve Jobs has executed a voting agreement (here) pursuant to which he ... Disney/Pixar Deal and Omnicare
Blogs Providing Truth on the Market
My initial post on this blog hailed the power of the blogosphere to correct half-truths asserted by professional journalists. From Russ Roberts (via Cafe Hayek), a case in point.
Taking Maytag and Whirlpool to the cleaners
Christine blogs about the Whirlpool-Maytag merger and its antitrust problems. Law Blog has the story, as well. Both mention the American Antitrust Institute which opposes (vehemently) the merger. In fact, the AAI has never met a merger it didn’t find anticompetitive, so its opposition should be taken with a grain of salt. Then again, I’ve ... Taking Maytag and Whirlpool to the cleaners
Tom Ulen returns to the blogosphere (and it's a good thing, too)
Rumblings of the imminent emergence of the soon-to-be-formidable Law and Econ Prof Blog today. Tom Ulen is joined by Jagdeep Bhandari. Another not-to-miss read. Now I’ll never get to look at the Economist again.
Maybe Hamas ain't so bad
Prof. B. writes with pronounced skepticism of and hostility to Hamas’ recent Palestinian parliamentary victory here. He sees this as a “decisive victory by a terrorist organization hostile to both the US and Israel,” and asks why anyone thinks this would be a good thing. Well, he’s right as a banal descriptive matter (Hamas is, ... Maybe Hamas ain't so bad
Golfing: Scholarship or Distraction?
Click here to read about the $38 million home Tiger Woods recently purchased. Maybe I should give up blogging so I have more time to work on my golf game.
Questionable Boston Scientific Press Release
This story in yesterday’s Boston Herald asserts that during the bidding war for Guidant between J&J and Boston Scientific (BSX), BSX “used highly questionable investment advice to swing the battle their way and give their stock a good ‘pop.’� Specifically, BSX put out a press release that quoted various Wall Street analysts endorsing the BSX ... Questionable Boston Scientific Press Release
The Ban on General Solicitation and Advertising
I blogged last week about the recommendations concerning Sarbanes-Oxley 404 adopted by the SEC Advisory Committee on Smaller Public Companies at a meeting on 12/14/05 (see here). The transcript of the meeting is now available on the SEC’s website (click here). Today I want to talk about a different recommendation adopted by the committee that ... The Ban on General Solicitation and Advertising
Nacchio’s Puzzling (Innovative?) Defense
An article in today’s W$J reports on former Qwest CEO Joseph Nacchio’s planned defense in a criminal insider trading action brought by the SEC. The defense is perplexing. The SEC has accused Nacchio of selling $101 million of Qwest stock while in possession of inside information that the firm wasn’t doing as well as its ... Nacchio’s Puzzling (Innovative?) Defense
