Thought Leadership

The lifeblood of a business school is its faculty, and at the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business our faculty members are inspiring, supportive and world-class. We are attuned to a marketplace that values innovation, entrepreneurialism, analytical thinking and hard work. Our teaching and research equips students with the wisdom of business scholarship rooted in the experiential lessons of the marketplace.

March 2, 2023
Navigating the Debt Ceiling
Treasury payments towards the interest on the debt represent the federal government’s largest spending increase so far this year. As the Wall Street Journal reports, it’s contributing to a deficit for the first four months of this fiscal year that has widened to $460 billion, up 78% from $259…
Read the article : Navigating the Debt Ceiling
March 2, 2023
The Rise in Four-figure Car Loan Payments Could Mean a Recession Is Coming

In the fourth quarter of last year, the number of Americans paying $1,000 a month or more for a vehicle hit a record high of 15.7%.

Read the article : The Rise in Four-figure Car Loan Payments Could Mean a Recession Is Coming
February 23, 2023
How to Bolster Climate Scenario Analysis
The Federal Reserve Board has engaged six of the biggest U.S. banks in a pilot Climate Scenario Analysis (CSA) to assess and “advance the ability of supervisors and banks to analyze and manage emerging climate-related financial risks.”
Read the article : How to Bolster Climate Scenario Analysis
February 23, 2023
Is South Africa Taking a Financial Risk by Conducting Naval Exercises with Russia?
“If I were advising, I would think that it would be unwise for South Africa to conduct this exercise, especially in the vicinity of the anniversary.” That’s University of Maryland Robert H. Smith School of Business William E. Mayer Chair Professor of Finance, Lemma Senbet reacting to South Africa’s…
Read the article : Is South Africa Taking a Financial Risk by Conducting Naval Exercises with Russia?
January 26, 2023
A “Richcession” May Be Ahead
Wall Street Journal reporter Justin Lahart has coined the term “richcession” to explain what might happen should a recession occur this year. According to him, the well-heeled would take a bigger hit than usual, even if we manage to narrowly escape an economic downturn.
Read the article : A “Richcession” May Be Ahead
December 7, 2022
Risk Lessons from FTX
FTX postmortems have included Axios describing the cryptocurrency exchange as a “house of cards” comparable to Enron, Theranos, Bear Stearns, Lehman Brothers and Madoff Investment Securities. Plus, Moody’s writes the collapse “will radically transform the crypto ecosystem, further shaking trust and…
Read the article : Risk Lessons from FTX
November 10, 2022
How COVID-19 Showed the Cost of Doing Business Globally
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, multinational companies didn’t have to think twice about increasingly moving toward firm globalization. But the crisis amplified the vulnerabilities of doing business across borders. And now, new research from Maryland Smith is contextualizing the numbers to show the…
Read the article : How COVID-19 Showed the Cost of Doing Business Globally
October 27, 2022
‘Storm Clouds Over the World Economy’: Smith’s Lemma Senbet Discusses Implications for Africa
Voice of America tapped Smith’s Lemma W. Senbet to discuss the stakes for Africa at the IMF-World Bank Group Annual Meetings where policymakers and industry leaders representing about 190 countries engaged on the state of the world economy.
Read the article : ‘Storm Clouds Over the World Economy’: Smith’s Lemma Senbet Discusses Implications for Africa
October 18, 2022
Public Firms Are Not Shortsighted and Respond More to Investment Opportunities Than Do Private Firms
Many analysts of financial markets are concerned that financial markets provide managers with economically harmful incentives.
Read the article : Public Firms Are Not Shortsighted and Respond More to Investment Opportunities Than Do Private Firms
October 13, 2022
Musk’s Twitter Reversal: Smith Experts Weigh Financial, Operational Implications
Elon Musk’s offer to proceed with a $44 billion acquisition of Twitter has the two sides working to close the deal ahead of the recently extended court deadline of October 28.
Read the article : Musk’s Twitter Reversal: Smith Experts Weigh Financial, Operational Implications