Too cool for school

Six billionaires who didn’t need school, books or teacher’s dirty looks:

K.I.S.S.

Writing in the Boston Globe, Drake Bennett asks us to imagine a world where P/E ratios, debt levels, management quality, competitive analysis, and every other criteria for stock evaluation are replaced by a single objective: investing in companies with names that are easy to pronounce. It may sound crazy, but Bennett says, “if recent research is to be believed, it might just be brilliant. Psychologists have determined… that shares in companies with easy-to-pronounce names do indeed significantly outperform those with hard-to-pronounce names.” If so, here’s our question: do companies with simple names outperform because more investors buy their stock, or because more customers buy their products?

Counting the counters

National Bank Chief Economist and Strategist Stéfane Marion says the 2010 U.S. census is coming at an opportune time. Initial preparation begins up to a year and a half prior to the actual Census Day (April 1, 2010) and involves thousands of temporary workers to conduct address canvassing and follow-up. In the year 2000, census-related job creation added roughly 500,000 jobs to national payrolls. This year will mark the first time in more than 40 years that such an exercise has taken place during the early stages of an economic recovery. Marion says a similar boost in employment, even if temporary, could give economic confidence a much-needed shot in the arm.