Wider Confidence Lifts Economy From Winter's Deep, Dark Freeze

The financial system, frozen solid for the past nine months, is in a spring thaw. And it's happening even though many of the Obama administration's major rescue programs have yet to get off the ground.

Full-text article by Neil Irwin and David Cho is available via The Washington Post, 5.21.09.

Green Shoots Emerge

With global markets sending hopeful signs and recovery claims abounding, there could be light at the end of the tunnel.

Full-text article by Chris Giles, et al. is available via The Financial Times, 5.11.09. [Free registration required.]

The Future of Private Equity

With credit markets constrained and a shift away from a business culture built on highly leveraged portfolios, it may seem hard to be optimistic about the future of private-equity firms. But private equity’s past success hasn’t resulted solely from leverage but rather from its culture of active ownership, its adaptability, and its ability to summon financial and human resources. In today’s difficult economic environment, those strengths are more important than ever.

Full-text article by Conor Kehoe and Robert N. Palter is available via The McKinsey Quarterly, April 2009. [Subscription required.]

Recession or Depression?

Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show that the recession is looking much like the recession of 1981, which was relatively deep and short, points out Jeff Cornwall of the Center for Entrepreneurship. Better yet, when graphed against the Great Depression, the current downturn barely registers as a blip.

Full-text blog post by Jeff Cornwall is available via The Entrepreneurial Mind, 5.4.09.