“Financial economics” on The Daily Caller

Retailers delivered another decent performance last month, with shoppers continuing to spend despite poor weather, high gasoline prices and a later Easter. (more)

The New York Stock Exchange’s plan to merge with Deutsche Borse, while promising more efficiency for investors in global stocks, may hurt small U.S. enterprises that are finding it increasingly difficult to tap into the stock market so they can grow and create jobs. (more)

On Tuesday, while most of us were preparing to play the State of the Union drinking game, the Wall Street Journal ran a fascinating article on its front page exposing the role that short-sellers, those investment gurus who bet on specific stock prices falling, have been playing in the development of federal guidelines regulating for-profit colleges. Advocacy by these investors runs the gamut from initiating letter-writing campaigns to testifying before Congress in the hopes of passing rules that would seriously hinder these colleges’ bottom lines — forcing, you guessed it, their stocks to drop. (more)

Wall Street indexes started the new year with sharp gains on Monday, extending the late-2010 rally on optimistic signs about a global recovery. (more)

Novell, the software maker, said on Monday that it had agreed to be acquired by the Attachmate Corporation for $2.2 billion in cash. (more)

When a government sells stock in a company, it is usually trying to maximize short-term revenue. Therefore, the share price is normally pegged at what the market will bear. If the valuation of the total stock offering is less than the value of the company (or a portion thereof) being sold, something is amiss. That is certainly the case with the initial public offering of GM stock sold to investors on November 17. The stock price is telling us something the federal government doesn’t want to admit, all the rhetoric about the supposed success of the GM bailout notwithstanding. (more)

U.S. stocks were little changed on Monday as investors were reluctant to make bets ahead of U.S. elections and a Federal Reserve meeting that is expected to bring further stimulus to the economy. (more)

After a series of difficult moments on the campaign trail, Rep. Barney Frank is scrambling for campaign cash, contributing $200,000 of his own money as he seeks to ward off his first serious Republican challenger in decades. (more)

On May 6, the Dow plunged hundreds of points in a matter of minutes for reasons that most investors couldn’t explain. Amazingly, even as Jim Cramer was melting down live on CNBC, the market zoomed right back up just as quickly, leaving everyone, including the SEC, to wonder what had just happened. The incident has become known as the “flash crash” in investment circles. (more)

All summer, analysts said stocks would drift until taking direction in mid-September. But the ides of the month have passed, and the market is still flat. (more)

Goldman Sachs (GS: 148.10 ,+2.79 ,+1.92%), which once commanded the largest proprietary trading department on Wall Street, is in the initial phases of winding down billions of dollars in equity positions, the direct result of new regulatory rules designed to eliminate Wall Street risk taking, FOX Business Network has learned. (more)

Health insurers say they plan to raise premiums for some Americans as a direct result of the health overhaul in coming weeks, complicating Democrats’ efforts to trumpet their signature achievement before the midterm elections. (more)

After two months bankers would like to forget, Wall Street may need a September to remember to avoid closing the books on the worst quarter for investment banking and trading revenue since the peak of the financial crisis. (more)

Burger King is being sold to private equity firm 3G Capital in a deal valued at $3.26bn, it has been announced. (more)

American International Group Inc., the insurer that turned over a majority stake to the U.S. as part of its bailout, is in talks with regulators to become independent, Chief Executive Officer Robert Benmosche said. (more)

Goldman Sachs Group Inc.’s principal- strategies business, a group that makes bets with the firm’s own capital, plans to transform into a fund and raise outside money, a person with direct knowledge of the decision said. (more)

There will never be another s— deal at Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (more)

The “reality” show megahit “Jersey Shore” returns to the airwaves Thursday evening and the media hype machine is in full swing. As part of the promotional buildup, the cast of the show rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange this morning and they drew the biggest trading floor crowd since Abbie Hoffman rained dollar bills down from the visitor’s gallery in 1967. This season the cast members, almost exclusively comprised of New Yorkers (only Sammi Sweetheart actually hails from the Garden State), will be shown adjusting to a new scene while they spend an extended sojourn in Miami’s swanky South Beach district. The “fish out of water” scenario should make for compelling television. Sort of the “Masterpiece Theatre” of bad taste. (more)

It is easy to invest in companies that do good and are still very successful by conventional business standards. After all, who would not like to own a company growing at a mid-teens rate that pays its employees fairly, is a good corporate citizen, treats the environment well and sells a product that makes people’s lives better? (more)

The Dodd-Frank financial regulatory bill, ostensibly aimed at reforming Wall Street and preventing a future financial crisis, will impose racial and gender quotas on financial institutions if passed, according to economist Diana Furchtgott-Roth. (more)