May 11, 2010

Derivatives Markets, Storage and Price Volatility

Michael Giberson I found this discussion of spot oil prices, futures prices, and commodity storage to be insightful: [R]ecent evidence suggests that the combination of derivative prices and storage stabilized rather than destabilized the oil markets. Indeed, during the run up in oil prices at the beginning of 2008 the spot price for oil was …

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When Stories Compete with Statistics for Attention, Stories Win

Michael Giberson Everyone loves a good story, it seems.  Maybe too much.  Three U-Mass researchers have detailed the overwhelming influence of anecdotal information in decision making, even less-than-adequate anecdotes presented alongside directly relevant and authoritative statistical information.  The research also looks at two strategies that mitigate some of the influence of anecdotal bias, priming a …

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