Cowboy Economics News - January 2008 Archives

Stock Price Correlated to Likeability of Super Bowl Ads (1/31/2008)

When TV viewers like a company's Super Bowl commercial, the company's stock price goes up, according to a study by researchers in the University at Buffalo School of Management and Cornell University. ...> Full Article

Does a bad January mean a bad year for share markets? (1/30/2008)

The Americans call it the January Barometer - the stock market performance for the first month, sets the pattern for the rest of the year. But Massey University finance researchers say while this may hold true for the United States market, the January Barometer is no predictor of how the year will go on international equity markets. ...> Full Article

U.S. economy teetering, but could still avert recession (1/30/2008)

The U.S. economy is sputtering amid a lingering housing slump and growing jitters on Wall Street, but whether a recession lies ahead is still anyone's guess, a trio of University of Illinois economic experts say. ...> Full Article

Changing economic factors, social norms delay transition to adulthood (1/29/2008)

Scientist concludes that young adults lazier now than they were 20 years ago. ...> Full Article

Economists help climate scientists to improve global warming forecasts (1/28/2008)

Climate scientists are collaborating with experts in economic theory to improve their forecasting models and assess more accurately the impact of rising atmospheric carbon dioxide levels. Although there is broad consensus that there will be a significant rise in average global temperature, there is great uncertainty over the extent of the change, and the implications for different regions. Greater accuracy is urgently needed to provide a sound basis for major policy decisions and to ensure that politicians and the public remain convinced that significant changes in consumption patterns and energy production are essential to stave off serious consequences in the coming decades and centuries. ...> Full Article

Celebrity sells but comes at a price (1/27/2008)

If Elle McPherson was involved in a major scandal, would her underwear company falter ...> Full Article

Will tax rebates work? (1/26/2008)

American households will receive tax rebates of up to $1,200 in the next few months, but will they really help America's slumping economy? ...> Full Article

Rudeness hurts performance and willingness to help on job (1/25/2008)

A new University of Florida study suggests rude bosses defeat their purpose by browbeating employees into poor job performance. ...> Full Article

Cross Ownership has Positive Effect on Local Media Coverage (1/24/2008)

The recent decision by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to loosen restrictions on cross ownership of newspapers and broadcast television stations in the same market has met with criticism from consumer advocates and members of Congress that a cross ownership would diminish the quality of local news coverage. However, the effect may be just the opposite, according to a University of Missouri study, which found that cross-owned television stations produce a greater percentage of local programming news content when compared to other network-affiliated stations in the same market. ...> Full Article

Why price promotions aren't the best marketing strategy (1/23/2008)

Discounts don't drive up sales ...> Full Article

British business expatriates risk too much in Spain (1/23/2008)

A sizeable number of British expatriate entrepreneurs in Spain end up losing their money and their homes due to lack of adequate preparation, a new study has found. ...> Full Article

Scotland Exports its Retail Expertise (1/22/2008)

A Scottish University is to export its world renowned retail expertise to Singapore under a drive by the Singaporean government to promote specialist collaborations. ...> Full Article

Scientists: Environmental protection, development not always at odds (1/21/2008)

Mangroves in coastal Thailand are the main protection against deadly flooding from tsunamis, so it might seem wise to protect them at all costs. ...> Full Article

Work force and economic development agencies team up in tough times (1/20/2008)

Michigan's economic woes have prompted a greater incentive for work force agencies and economic development groups to collaborate, a new University of Michigan study shows. ...> Full Article

Going global - is the future bright? (1/19/2008)

The global economy is entering a dramatic, virtual phase of development claims a new book, Going Global, published today (enter date) following a collaboration between the independent charity the Tomorrow Project and the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). ...> Full Article

Government intervention in subprime crisis rewards bad behavior, expert says (1/18/2008)

Bail out plan needs to help consumers ...> Full Article

Toll road privatization may result in indirect impacts (1/17/2008)

Privatizing toll roads in the U.S. may result in significant diversions of truck traffic from privatized toll roads to "free" roads, and may result in more crashes and increased costs associated with use of other roads, according to a new study. ...> Full Article

House prices cooling but affordability worsens by 9.6 per cent for the year (1/16/2008)

The rate of house price increases slowed over the second half of last year and the latest Massey University Home Affordability report says there are indicators prices will continue to cool. ...> Full Article

Researchers report dramatic increase in home foreclosures (1/15/2008)

Report calls for nonprofit and government agency assistance ...> Full Article

Advertising competition leads to career success (1/14/2008)

In his final year at the DeGroote School of Business, then commerce student David Sherrard didn't take the typical route in his job search. He went beyond the standard resume and cover letter and instead developed an innovative new experiential advertising campaign for the new Mitsubishi Lancer. ...> Full Article

Designing the 700 MHz Auction (1/14/2008)

It's been called beachfront property. Wireless companies are clamoring for pieces of it. The auction that will parcel it out will be the biggest of the next decade, with reserve prices set at $10 billion. ...> Full Article

Wilderness Preserves Spur Land Development (1/13/2008)

Conservation agencies that purchase wilderness areas to protect them from development may inadvertently spur development adjacent to their preserves. That was the finding of a team of researchers who studied changes in land use surrounding preserves in North Carolina, Massachusetts and Arizona. The researchers reported their study in Conservation Biology, a publication of the Society for Conservation Biology. ...> Full Article

Is innovation costing us too much? (1/13/2008)

Too few Welsh companies are aware that they are owed money by the tax man, according to leading financial adviser KPMG. ...> Full Article

Examining the European economy from a historical perspective (1/13/2008)

Is the single European market in people, goods, money and ideas a new development? Or are we merely reassembling something that existed a century ago? Appropriately, the European Science Foundation is supporting the researchers who aim to find out. GlobalEuroNet, the Globalizing Europe Economic History Network, runs from 2006 to 2010. ...> Full Article

Americans pay the most for prescription drugs and still don't take them (1/13/2008)

An international study of dialysis patients shows that although U.S. residents have the highest out-of-pocket drug costs, even those who can afford their prescription drugs are far less likely to take them than patients in other countries. ...> Full Article

Does the face of a CEO determine a successful company? (1/12/2008)

It certainly takes more than a pretty face to run a leading national corporation. But according to a recent Tufts University study, the performance levels of America's top companies could be related to the first impressions made by their chief executive officers (CEOs). ...> Full Article

New book offers challenge to the myths about entrepreneurship (1/12/2008)

What are the odds of getting a venture capitalist to finance your new business idea? If you said less than the odds of dying from a fall in the shower, you'd be right. One of the great myths about entrepreneurship in America is that venture capitalists finance many entrepreneurs' ideas. ...> Full Article

Education Inequalities May Inhibit American Economic Competitiveness (1/11/2008)

While there is growing consensus in developed countries that widely-available education is essential for remaining competitive in the global economy, the traditional American model of education is often seen as plagued with inequality. As a result, illiteracy among minorities in the labor force continues to be high, while the achievement gap in high schools remains unresolved. A new study published in Curriculum Inquiry entitled, "Social inequality in education: A constraint on an American High Skills Future," examines the current American educational condition, finding that these inequalities are a serious constraint on the future of high-skills industry. ...> Full Article

Financial Savvy - 'Key To Successful Living' (1/10/2008)

Reevaluating your financial plan is something that you can do at any time of year, but for most people, it makes sense to schedule a little check-up when the New Year rolls around. That makes it easier to remember when it's time again. Although there are many aspects of your financial plan that you should go over every year, my suggestion today is for you to take a careful look at your household's asset allocation. ...> Full Article