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D. Brian Blank

Assistant Professor of Finance, Mississippi State University
Dr. D. Brian Blank is an assistant professor of finance. He received his doctoral degree from the University of Tennessee Haslam College of Business, where he developed expertise researching corporate finance and governance. His dissertation focused on corporate political contributions. He has published in journals including the Journal of Corporate Finance, European Financial Management, Financial Review, the Journal of Financial Research, and the Journal of Housing Research. Dr. Blank also received the 2016 American Accounting Association Ohio Region Meeting Andrews Best Paper Award. He has received invitations to present his research at conferences such as the Financial Management Association, Eastern Finance Association, Southern Finance Association, European Financial Management Association Annual Meeting, and the American Real Estate Society Annual Meetings.

Dr. Blank received his undergraduate education at the University of Alabama, where he also received Masters of Science degrees in Finance and Applied Statistics. Afterwards, he began his career as a Consultant with Accounting, Economics & Appraisal Group, where he provided assistance to companies facing critical challenges including fraud, bankruptcy and litigation. His projects included advising a financial institution victim to a $500 million ponzi scheme; consulting for one of the ten largest United States-based financial institutions; performing due diligence for an international healthcare acquisition; and valuing a business interrupted by the costliest disaster in the history of the United States.

What does 2025 hold for interest rates, inflation and the American consumer?

Dec 28, 2024 07:08 am UTC| Insights & Views Economy Central Banks

Brian Blank is a finance scholar and Fed watcher who researches how companies navigate downturns and make financial decisions, as well as how markets process information. Brandy Hadley is a finance professor who leads a...

When can we stop worrying about rising prices? The latest inflation report offers no easy answers

Jan 12, 2024 06:33 am UTC| Economy

Tired of thinking about inflations impact on your wallet? Youre not alone. But like it or not, higher prices continue to be an economic and with the presidential race a political issue as we enter the early months of...

Economic lookahead: As we ring in 2024, can the US economy continue to avoid a recession?

Dec 27, 2023 02:20 am UTC| Economy

With economic forecasters rewriting their 2024 outlooks following recent moves from the Federal Reserve, The Conversation turned to two financial economists to share their thoughts on the upcoming year. D. Brian Blank...

Digital Currency Revolution

Sam Bankman-Fried was convicted of fraud following the collapse of the cryptocurrency exchange FTX. Here's what investors need to know

Nov 08, 2023 12:08 pm UTC| Digital Currency Law

In the fast-paced world of cryptocurrency, vast sums of money can be made or lost in the blink of an eye. In early November 2022, the crypto exchange FTX was valued at more than US$30 billion. By the middle of that month,...

Central Banking Series

The Federal Reserve held off hiking interest rates

Sep 23, 2023 03:19 am UTC| Economy Central Banks

Federal Reserve officials held interest rates steady at their monthly policy meeting on Sept. 20, 2023 only the second time they have done so since embarking on a rate-raising campaign a year and a half ago. But it is...

Insider trading − the legal kind − is a lot more profitable if you work for a multinational company

Aug 25, 2023 08:20 am UTC| Law

Corporate insiders who trade stocks based on the information they gain on the job earn a lot more if they work at multinational corporations than their peers at U.S. companies with no sales abroad. Thats the main finding...

What are stock buybacks? A finance professor explains why President Biden wants to raise the tax on this controversial use of corporate capital

Feb 14, 2023 13:20 pm UTC| Economy

Companies have been buying back their own stock at record levels something President Joe Biden doesnt care for. In his state of the union address, Biden said corporations ought to do the right thing and invest more of...

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Economy

India’s Investment Upgrade: A Historic Milestone for the "High-Quality EM" Narrative

SP Global has raised Indias sovereign credit rating to BBB from BBB-, with a Stable outlook, indicating the agencys first upward change for the country in 18 years. This major step increases Indias long-term rating one...

Asian Markets Rally as Oil Prices Tumble and Middle East Peace Hopes Emerge

Asian stock markets posted strong gains on Wednesday, driven by a sharp decline in oil prices and growing optimism over a potential diplomatic resolution in the Middle East. The broad-based rally swept across the region,...

Australia's Inflation Eases in February but Core Pressures Persist

Australias consumer inflation dipped slightly in February, though stubborn underlying price pressures are keeping the Reserve Bank of Australia cautious about cutting interest rates anytime soon. According to the latest...

Oil Prices Plunge Over 6% as Middle East Ceasefire Hopes Ease Supply Fears

Global oil prices dropped sharply on Wednesday during Asian trading hours, with Brent crude falling below the $100 per barrel mark for the first time in recent sessions. The steep selloff came after emerging signs of a...

Currency Markets Show Caution Amid U.S.-Iran Negotiations

Global currency markets displayed muted movement during early Asian trading on Wednesday, as investors remained cautious following conflicting signals surrounding U.S.-Iran peace negotiations. President Donald Trump...

Politics

Trump's Overhaul of American History: Museums, Monuments, and Cultural Institutions

Since returning to the White House, President Donald Trump has launched a sweeping campaign to reshape how American history is presented across cultural institutions, national parks, and public monuments. Framing his...

Pakistan's Diplomatic Rise: Mediating U.S.-Iran Peace Talks

Pakistan is emerging as a key global mediator in efforts to end the ongoing U.S.-Iran conflict, leveraging its unique position as a trusted contact for both Washington and Tehran. This diplomatic role could elevate...

US Accelerates Taiwan Arms Deliveries Amid Rising China Threat

Taiwans Defense Minister Wellington Koo confirmed Wednesday that the United States has expressed a strong sense of urgency in bolstering Taiwans military capabilities, with active efforts underway to resolve long-standing...

Trump Administration Settles Lawsuit Barring Federal Agencies from Pressuring Social Media Censorship

The Trump administration has reached a landmark settlement that prohibits three major federal agencies from coercing social media platforms into removing or suppressing constitutionally protected speech. The agreement,...

Cuba Receives Humanitarian Aid Convoy Amid U.S. Sanctions

Cuba welcomed a long-awaited shipment of international humanitarian aid on Tuesday, as activists from the global Nuestra America Convoy successfully delivered essential supplies to the island nation despite ongoing U.S....

Science

SpaceX Pivots Toward Moon City as Musk Reframes Long-Term Space Vision

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has revealed a significant shift in the companys near-term space exploration strategy, announcing that SpaceX is now prioritizing the development of a self-growing city on the Moon rather than focusing...

SpaceX Prioritizes Moon Mission Before Mars as Starship Development Accelerates

Elon Musks SpaceX is shifting its near-term space exploration strategy, choosing to prioritize a return to the Moon before pursuing missions to Mars, according to a recent Wall Street Journal report citing sources familiar...

NASA and SpaceX Target Crew-11 Undocking From ISS Amid Medical Concern

NASA has confirmed that the agency, in coordination with SpaceX, is targeting no earlier than 5 p.m. Eastern Time (2200 GMT) on Wednesday, January 14, for the undocking of the SpaceX Crew-11 mission from the International...

Neuralink Plans High-Volume Brain Implant Production and Fully Automated Surgery by 2026

Elon Musks brain-computer interface company Neuralink is preparing for a major expansion, announcing plans to begin high-volume production of its brain implant devices and transition to a fully automated surgical procedure...

Jared Isaacman Confirmed as NASA Administrator, Becomes 15th Leader of U.S. Space Agency

The U.S. Senate has officially confirmed billionaire private astronaut Jared Isaacman as the new NASA administrator, making him the 15th leader in the agencys history. The confirmation, which took place on Wednesday, marks...

Technology

SK Hynix Eyes Up to $14 Billion U.S. IPO to Fund AI Chip Expansion

South Korean memory chip giant SK Hynix has submitted a confidential filing for a U.S. stock market listing in 2026, with sources indicating the move could raise as much as $14 billion. The company intends to offer...

Meta Ties Executive Pay to Aggressive Stock Price Targets in Major Retention Push

Meta Platforms made a significant move this week by granting restricted stock units and stock options to several of its most senior leaders, including Chief Financial Officer Susan Li and Chief Technology Officer Andrew...

SpaceX IPO Filing Expected This Week as Valuation Could Surpass $75 Billion

Elon Musks SpaceX is reportedly moving closer to going public, with plans to submit its initial public offering prospectus to regulators as early as this week or next, according to a report by The Information citing a...

OpenAI Pulls the Plug on Sora, Ending $1 Billion Disney Partnership

OpenAI has officially shut down Sora, its AI-powered video generation tool, in a move that blindsided partners and staff alike and effectively ended a landmark deal with Walt Disney Co. The decision marks a major...

Golden Dome Missile Defense: Anduril and Palantir Join Forces on Trump's $185B Space Shield

Tech-forward defense companies Anduril Industries and Palantir Technologies are reportedly joining forces to develop critical software for the United States most ambitious missile defense initiative to date the Golden...