Musings on Markets

FEBRUARY 8, 2025

In the first five posts, I have looked at the macro numbers that drive global markets, from interest rates to risk premiums, but it is not my preferred habitat. A key tool in both endeavors is a hurdle rate a rate of return that you determine as your required return for business and investment decisions.

Hurdle Rate 72

Hurdle Rate Valuation Corporate Finance Currencies 72

Musings on Markets

JANUARY 10, 2025

In corporate finance and investing, which are areas that I work in, I find myself doing double takes as I listen to politicians, market experts and economists making statements about company and market behavior that are fairy tales, and data is often my weapon for discerning the truth. Financing Flows 5. Beta & Risk 1.

Corporate Finance 115

Corporate Finance Valuation Finance Numbers 115

Musings on Markets

AUGUST 15, 2023

After the rating downgrade, my mailbox was inundated with questions of what this action meant for investing, in general, and for corporate finance and valuation practice, in particular, and this post is my attempt to answer them all with one post. Why does the risk-free rate matter? What is a risk free investment?

Investments 98

Investments Currencies Treasury Hurdle Rate 98

Musings on Markets

JANUARY 9, 2021

The first is that I do not have a macro focus, and my interests in macro variables occur only in the context of corporate finance or valuation issues. If you use it at their jobs as corporate finance or equity analysts, I am glad to take some of that burden off you, and I hope that you find more enjoyable uses for the time you save.

Valuation 52

Valuation Currencies Numbers Corporate Finance 52

Barry Ritholtz

NOVEMBER 8, 2022

I went into what’s called corporate finance, what people would see now as sort of M&A department. CHANCELLOR: Well, I was actually in a sort of subgroup there, which was called corporate strategy. But I didn’t last very long there because I thought I didn’t like corporate finance.

Valuation 59

Valuation Finance Investments Banking 59

Musings on Markets

JULY 24, 2024

Country Risk in Business Most corporate finance classes and textbooks leave students with the proposition that the right hurdle rate to use in assessing business investments is the cost of capital, but create a host of confusion about what exactly that cost of capital measures.

Hurdle Rate 75

Hurdle Rate Currencies Valuation Economics 75