…Still, the shortages raise questions about whether some companies have been too aggressive in harvesting savings by slashing inventory, leaving them unprepared for whatever trouble inevitably emerges. “It’s the investments that they don’t make,” said William Lazonick, an economist at…
AIR IMPACT
Recognition of AIR research, opinions, and people in the media and elsewhere
Toward a System of Balanced Capitalism – Can Japan Avoid the Dangers of “Financialization”?
“…What Went Wrong in the US: the Phenomenon of Financialization The above problems are all seen as associated with the ongoing trend toward large firm value extraction, as opposed to value creation. These terms were coined by William Lazonick, author…
Stock Buybacks Stand in the Way of Biden’s Infrastructure Plan
Hedge fund managers are pushing American firms to play Wall Street games instead of investing in technologies of the future. China doesn’t have that problem.
Meet the “New Koch Brothers” – the Hedge Fund Activists Wrecking America’s Green New Deal
“…Economist Matt Hopkins, who studies business corporations, stresses that as a taxpayer, you are asked to support such companies not only in the form of direct subsidies, but also indirectly through government-supported research. Not to mention all sorts of tax…
4 Burning Questions on the Global Vaccine Rollout
Warnings of “corruption and incompetence coming together,” as economists William Lazonick and Öner Tulum study the race to end the pandemic.
‘Sick’: Most Profitable US Companies Fired Workers, Enriched Shareholders During Pandemic
“…An in-depth investigation published Wednesday by the Washington Post illuminates how “big businesses are having a very different year from most of the country,” which is suffering as a result of the federal government’s negligent response to the ongoing public health catastrophe and inadequate provision of financial assistance…
America’s biggest companies are flourishing during the pandemic and putting thousands of people out of work
“…Companies often buy their own stock during difficult economic periods to signal to the market that management still believes in their prospects. But those buybacks also mean companies are taking money that could have been invested into employees and innovation…
The COVID-19 Pandemic Exposes Fatal Health Inequities
“…Financialization furthers the restructuring of production both vertically and internationally, creating global production networks and enabling firms to raise prices (cost mark-ups), increase profits, and boost shareholder values. At the same time, financialization reduces investment to sanction higher dividend payments,…
The myth of the ‘efficient’ private sector has been busted by Covid
“Last Friday, as towns and cities across the UK faced up to renewed lockdown restrictions, executives at Serco had reason to celebrate. Serco is one of the dozens of private companies that have been contracted by the Westminster government to…
Trump sets up pharma billionaires for coronavirus payday
“…And although Regeneron has committed to selling some of the antibodies to the government, which in turn is obligated to distribute them “to the American people at no cost,” according to the government’s July 6 agreement, that deal applies only to…