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If some of the smartest people in the world work in financial markets, as is often suggested, why are their forecasts so unreliable? Perhaps the problem starts with the idea that intelligence is related to the ability to correctly and consistently predict the movements of markets and individual securities. A number of factors explain why [...]

The surge in stock prices around the world in the first quarter serves as a reminder that predicting market trends can be a frustrating business. Six months ago, the outlook for stock prices appeared to be fading from grim to grimmer: Congressional leaders were wrangling unsuccessfully to craft a deficit reduction plan, Standard & Poor’s [...]

‘And you thought 2011 was tough?’ So went the headlines in December as media and market pundits, reflecting on a miserable year, saw no respite for investors in 2012. But markets have a funny way of confounding expectations. To be sure, the reasons to be anxious were piling high as the year turned, with European [...]

Lessons in Fund Flows Since 2008, economic uncertainty and market volatility have tested the staying power of investors around the world. Many people fled equities during the worst months of the global financial crisis, while others waited for signs of a turnaround before investing more. Their emotional reactions may have exacted a large price on [...]