Researchers describe a model for forecasting financials that uses only anonymized weekly credit card transactions and three-month earning reports. Tasked with predicting quarterly earnings of more than 30 companies, the model outperformed the combined estimates of expert Wall Street analysts on 57 percent of predictions. In finance, there’s growing interest in using imprecise but frequently…

A new study shows that people with migraine or frequent tension headaches have a reduced work ability in particularly three areas. The researchers hope that the new knowledge may help workplaces become better at accommodating those suffering from headaches. This is how it may feel for people suffering from migraine or frequent tension headaches. Untreated,…

It’s still easy to think we’re in control when browsing the internet, but a new study argues much of that is ‘an illusion.’ Corporations are ‘nudging’ us online more than we realize, and often in hidden ways. Researchers analyzed click-stream data on a million people over one month of internet use to find common browsing…

New research sheds light on whether common approaches for online advertising measurement are as reliable and accurate as the ‘gold standard’ of large-scale, randomized experiments. The study to be published in the March edition of the INFORMS journal Marketing Science is titled «A Comparison of Approaches to Advertising Measurement: Evidence from Big Field Experiments at…

New research shows that selecting a targeted retirement fund that ends in a zero could negatively impact your retirement savings. The study identified a »zero bias» or tendency for individuals to select retirement funds ending in zero, which affects the amount people contribute to retirement savings and leads to an investment portfolio with an incompatible…

Companies that express remorse in the wake of a product failure are more likely to encourage customers to repurchase from them, according to new research. The study, which examines how emotional reactions affect how consumers interact with a company, also found that remorseful statements can help stave off retaliatory actions such as lawsuits. «Human beings…

A new study has found that less-experienced investors are failing to diversify — and could be putting themselves at serious financial risk. The effect is so pronounced that many amateur investors would be better off choosing stocks at complete random. But a new study from the UBC Sauder School of Business has found that less…

Men are more likely than are women to be seen as »brilliant,» finds a new study measuring global perceptions linked to gender. The work concludes that these stereotyped views are an instance of implicit bias, revealing automatic associations that people cannot, or at least do not, report holding when asked directly. The research, which appears…

When entrepreneurs dream up ideas for new businesses, cannabis use might help, and hinder, their creativity, according to a new study. The study found that cannabis-using entrepreneurs generated new business ideas such as a weightless, gravity-free virtual reality workout, that were more original, but less feasible, compared to those who do not use cannabis. «Originality…

Despite the protections in place to support breastfeeding for employees, the burden still falls on working mothers to advocate for the resources they need, according to a new study. The study also revealed gaps in the quality and accessibility of breastfeeding resources in the eyes of working mothers. «We know that there are benefits of…