Looking for an edge as an investor? You might find it in the research papers authored by some of the top professors of finance at Canadian universities, wrote The Globe and Mail March 13, in a feature that included comments on the work of Moshe Milevsky, professor of finance in the Schulich School of Business at York University.
Milevsky's dozens of research articles and five books deliver insights from applying advanced mathematics to personal finance topics, said the Globe. A 2006 paper that he and co-authors published in the Financial Analysts Journal recently received the prestigious Graham and Dodd Scroll Award of Excellence.
The paper covers new ground by integrating non-financial assets (notably human capital) with financial assets in the design of optimal portfolios. In other words, it proposes diversification of risk across non-financial and financial assets. For example, a tenured professor is in more of a position to run an aggressive portfolio of financial assets than a commissioned salesperson because the professor's tenure provides a more secure and stable stream of income.
Top business of the year to be unveiled
The Caledon Business Excellence Awards and Gala Dinner Event sponsored by RBC Financial and featuring keynote speaker Bob Willard are being held March 17, wrote the Caledon Enterprise March 12. Willard is a leading expert on the business value of corporate sustainability strategies and is on the faculty of the Sustainable Enterprise Academy (SEA) at York University.
Ontario to give budget surplus to cities
An Ontario government plan to earmark a chunk of any annual budget surplus for spending on infrastructure improvements could be a boost to transit projects such as the extension of the Spadina subway line to York University, wrote the Toronto Star March 13.
Finance Minister Dwight Duncan announced yesterday that the government will introduce legislation so a portion of any annual surplus above $800 million would be sent to cities and towns to pay for roads, bridges, transit and social housing. The surplus last year was $2.3 billion and although the government has projected only a $750 million surplus this year, it is expected to be higher.
On air
- CBC Radio’s “Ontario Morning” listener phone-in program of March 12 featured discussion of a study by York Professor Pat Armstrong and doctoral candidate Albert Banerjee on violence towards long-term care workers in Canada.
- Brandon Vickerd, visual arts professor in York’s Faculty of Fine Arts, spoke about public art for the 2010 Vancouver Olympics on CBC Radio’s “Q” March 12.
- George Georgopoulos, economics professor in York’s Atkinson Faculty of Liberal & Professional Studies, spoke about market fluctuations on AM640 Radio news March 12.
- Elizabeth Dauphinee, political science professor in York’s Faculty of Arts, spoke about the political strategies of US presidential hopefuls Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, on AM640 Radio news March 12.