Cowboy Economics News - June 2008 Archives

Divest unprofitable customers with care (6/29/2008)

Businesses thinking of divesting unprofitable customers shouldn't act hastily ...> Full Article

Is less more? (6/28/2008)

Businesses hold steady on price, offer smaller quantities to stay profitable ...> Full Article

Firm Location Determines Equity Issuance (6/26/2008)

Firms in rural areas are less likely to issue equity than firms in urban areas ...> Full Article

Florida consumer confidence index falls to lowest rate in its history (6/25/2008)

Higher gas and food prices, continued declines in housing prices and last month's large increase in unemployment caused Florida's consumer confidence to plummet six points in June to 57, its all-time low record in the index's 25-year history ...> Full Article

Gallons Per Mile Makes More Sense (6/23/2008)

Expressing efficiency in gallons, not miles, leads to better decisions ...> Full Article

Study finds that consumers may fare better with peer-to-peer online lending Web sites (6/22/2008)

A new study shows that online peer-to-peer lending Web sites may be more attractive to Americans than traditional financial institutions. ...> Full Article

Economic growth hurt health progress in late 20th century Sweden (6/21/2008)

Economic growth had a negative impact on Sweden's health progress during the second half of the 20th century, which was opposite of the positive effects obtained during the first half of the 19th century. ...> Full Article

The economics of nice folks (6/20/2008)

Experimental evidence that people do often act against their own personal self-interest in favor of the common good, and they do so in predictable, understandable ways ...> Full Article

Economy Not Expected to Rebound Until Summer 2009: Layoffs Expected; Inflation Increasing (6/19/2008)

Chief financial officers do not expect the U.S. economy to begin to recover until 2009 or later. Domestic employment is expected to fall and inflation is expected to increase by 4.1 percent. Capital spending plans have been scaled back for the third consecutive quarter. ...> Full Article

Attack on corporate crime has thrown justice out of whack, legal expert says (6/18/2008)

A legal assault on corporate fraud has turned justice upside down, putting company executives at too much risk while leaving shareholders out in the cold ...> Full Article

Is India 'banking' for a greener future? (6/16/2008)

New research investigates the extent to which leading Indian banks and companies are thinking 'green' and acting environmentally ethically ...> Full Article

Rising fuel costs could lead to nuclear-powered ships (6/15/2008)

New bill represents an escalation of recent efforts to get the navy to use more nuclear fuel ...> Full Article

Rising diesel prices renew interest in fuel-saving technologies for heavy trucks (6/14/2008)

Diesel fuel prices approaching $5 a gallon - and the resulting economic impact on products transported by truck - have created renewed interest in fuel-saving technologies developed during the past decade ...> Full Article

Researcher examines search engine branding (6/13/2008)

New project that examines branding among search engines ...> Full Article

Insured but poorly protected: 25 million adults are underinsured (6/13/2008)

Number up 60 percent in 4 years; rate of underinsured triples for middle and higher income families; underinsured go without needed care and face medical debt ...> Full Article

Expert to testify about Supreme Court's impact on consumer debt (6/12/2008)

U.S. Supreme Court rulings are digging into Americans' pocketbooks, contributing to staggering mortgage and consumer debt that now averages more than $53,000 for every man, woman and child in the nation ...> Full Article

Competitive Regions Critical to a Stronger U.S. Economy (6/12/2008)

Counties and communities must think regionally to compete globally ...> Full Article

Reducing demand can lower electric bills, lessen chance of blackouts (6/11/2008)

A 5-percent reduction in electricity use will lower the market price of electricity, cut consumers' bills and lessen strain on the grid when demand shoots up this summer ...> Full Article

Urban transportation: An emerging market (6/11/2008)

By 2025, more than two-thirds of the planet will be living in city regions ...> Full Article

UK economy is hostage to oil, warns expert (6/10/2008)

The UK's economy cannot make a sustainable recovery until it breaks free of its dependence on oil ...> Full Article

Ethanol only part of story behind high corn prices (6/10/2008)

Those who blame ethanol for high corn prices need to dig deeper - oil well deep ...> Full Article

Pass the popcorn: Blockbuster sequels - financial boom or bust? (6/9/2008)

Researchers investigate box office impact vs. original movie ...> Full Article

Women make management strides when firms downsize, restructure (6/8/2008)

Women can make inroads into male-dominated management ranks as companies that downsize restructure their scaled-back workforces ...> Full Article

Low-cost airlines are now the new major players (6/7/2008)

Flexible design in airports essential for courting them ...> Full Article

People More Likely to Overestimate Their Credit Quality (6/6/2008)

Consumers' self-assessments of their credit rating and found that respondents were more likely to believe they had average or above average credit and those who overestimated their credit quality were less likely to budget, save, and invest regularly. ...> Full Article

Average Shoppers Are Willing To Pay A Premium For Locally Produced Food (6/6/2008)

New research suggests that the average supermarket shopper is willing to pay a premium price for locally produced foods, providing some farmers an attractive option to enter a niche market that could boost their revenues. ...> Full Article

Study shows why more than 25 percent of new CEOs last less than three years (6/5/2008)

An increasing number of CEOs are exiting their positions prematurely ...> Full Article

Little changes can mean gas savings down the road (6/4/2008)

Summer driving season has started, and gas prices continue to climb faster than the temperature. ...> Full Article

Multiple job duties yield multiple benefits for workers (6/3/2008)

Worn thin from wearing too many hats at work? ...> Full Article

New Study Sheds Light on the Growing U.S. Wind Power Market (6/3/2008)

For the third consecutive year the U.S. was home to the fastest-growing wind power market in the world ...> Full Article

Everything new under the sun (6/2/2008)

Group will chart the course for solar energy ...> Full Article

Slow Recovery, Flat Economy - But No Recession - Forecast for New England (6/2/2008)

New England will experience a slow recovery starting in mid-2008 and a relatively flat economy through 2012 as a result of the national credit and housing crises ...> Full Article

Following Wall Street's lead can taint corporate reputations, sutdy shows (6/1/2008)

Corporate reputations take a beating when scandals erupt, faulty products force recalls or earnings tumble, yielding sell-offs that leave investors jittery. ...> Full Article