While climate change is likely to alter the spatial distributions of species and habitat types, the nature of those changes is uncertain, making it more difficult for conservationists to implement standard planning models. Research from applied economists at the University of Illinois shows that adapting a theory from the world of finance could help to optimize conservation activities.
Using wetland habitat conservation in the Prairie Pothole Region as a case study, Amy W. Ando and Mindy L....

Inspired by the accidental release of documents describing 'naked short-selling' at Goldman Sachs, the gory details of which you can read all about at Rolling Stone, I thought I'd take a quick look at some of the academic literature associated with 'naked shorting'.
There's not a huge amount floating about on the open web, so this list is not exhaustive, but these 17 papers from between 1997 to 2012 examine the phenomenon through a range of lenses, empirical, economic and regulatory:

Short...

The National Association of Active Investment Managers (NAAIM) announced that Gary Antonacci is the 2012 first-place winner of the NAAIM Wagner Award for Advances in Active Investment Management for his paper Momentum Success Factors. In its fourth year, the NAAIM Wagner Award is designed to expand awareness of active investment management techniques and the results of active strategies.
Of Antonacci's paper, the Chairman of the Award Committee, Greg Morris, wrote, "Mr. Antonacci demonstrates...

New University of British Columbia research shows that – contrary to popular opinion – hedge funds have a positive influence when investing in U.S. companies filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
The study, co-authored by Sauder School of Business finance Prof. Kai Li, reveals that when a hedge fund invests in a distressed company, other creditors in the transaction fare better and there is a greater chance a company will emerge from bankruptcy.
“It’s a common view in the...

When trying to find a good stock pick, you might want to stay away from companies that make large political contributions, according to a new study by researchers from the University of Kansas and the University of Minnesota.
The findings which appear in this paper, indicate a decline of 7.4 basis points (or 0.074 percent) in risk-adjusted stock return for every $10,000 in political donations, after adjusting for differences in firm characteristics. While this decline may seem small, the...