What's the big deal about Spotify's unconventional IPO? The music-streaming giant is set to come to market without the help of some big investment bank. It's a known brand, and it's shown growth in its niche. So, why are investors so jittery?

While privatization comes with benefits — like not being beholden to market speculation — it also carries risks. Research by Smith School professor Hanna Lee suggests that going the public route may be better for the risk-averse. 

As Congress reexamines the Dodd-Frank law, the Smith School's Clifford Rossi offers this advice: Draw the credit-reporting agencies into its scope.

Leaders might deserve dismissal when they behave badly, but some lose their jobs for simply having the right skills at the wrong time. "Over time changes in business conditions may call for a change of top management," Smith School professor M. Cecilia Bustamante says.

For Wells Fargo, the Fed's stringent sanctions last week undoubtedly come as a bit of a blow. For the rest of the banking industry, more of a warning. "This is a supervisory slapdown in a major," says the Smith School's Clifford Rossi.

Wall Street has garnered a reputation for its high salaries. Analysts, policymakers and academics have chided the industry, accusing it of helping to distort the "efficient allocation of talent." Smith School experts break down that criticism.

Smith School experts bring you their fantasy M&A league — a list of potential tie-ups and explanations about what makes each one interesting. Imagine CVS teaming with 23andMe, or Daimler with Tesla, or Hilton with Airbnb.

For those who listen closely to what Warren Buffett says, the announcement that Berkshire Hathaway was hooking up with Amazon.com and JPMorgan Chase to create an independent healthcare company didn't come as a big surprise.

What’s the most useful way to look at commodity prices? A team of Smith School researchers sought to answer that question by examining commodity futures returns over a 42-year period.

Are these the end of days for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac? Lawmakers are considering whether to close the chapter on conservatorship for the two government-sponsored enterprises, a move that could bring big changes to housing finance in the United States.