Student Research & Analysis

Articles by Topic

Original analysis, commentary, and research from UChicago student writers — filtered by coverage area.

24 articles

Political Economy
Political Economy

The Attention Market

How social media platforms monetize attention and why their algorithmic design fuels retail investing herd behavior — and what that means for market efficiency and individual financial decision-making.

Ely Hamani Winter 2026
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Political Economy
Political Economy

Private Equity Is Buying Sports Teams

Why private equity firms are flooding into professional sports franchises, what the deal economics look like, and whether franchise valuations can keep outpacing the broader market indefinitely.

Emily Sensenich Winter 2026
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Markets
Markets

The GLP-1 Gold Rush: Its Causes and Future

A deep dive into the economics behind Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly's blockbuster obesity drugs — from patent moats and pricing power to pipeline competition and whether the valuation premiums are justified.

Sam Cohn Winter 2026
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Markets
Markets

The Rise of Private Credit: Inside a $2 Trillion Market

Private credit has exploded from a niche product to a $2T asset class, displacing bank lending across the middle market. An examination of the structural drivers, yield premium dynamics, and the systemic risks building inside the industry.

Jack De Picciotto Fall 2025
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Markets
Markets

AI Compute and the Change in North American Power Markets

Hyperscaler data center buildouts are overwhelming regional power grids from Virginia to Texas. How AI infrastructure demand is reshaping electricity markets, creating investment opportunities in utilities and transmission, and straining grid operators.

Thibaud Dubois-Denis Fall 2025
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Markets
Markets

Venture Global Bull Case

Venture Global LNG went public in 2025 as a key player in America's LNG export boom. An analysis of the company's cost structure, long-term contract book, and why bulls argue the stock is misunderstood by traditional energy investors.

Nathaniel Kelley Spring 2025
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Markets
Markets

The Return of Big Oil: Fossil Fuels Burning Down ESG

Energy majors reversed years of ESG-driven capex restraint, generating record shareholder returns as the green transition stalled politically. An analysis of how the ESG backlash is reshaping capital allocation in the oil and gas sector.

Percy Stillman Spring 2025
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Markets
Markets

What's Going On at the Federal Reserve?

A plainspoken guide to the Fed's current posture — why it's holding rates longer than the market expected, what "data dependent" means in practice, and how the dual mandate creates genuine tensions between inflation and employment goals.

Sophia Paesano Spring 2025
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