The Finance Professor Podcast

Linus Wilson
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The Finance Professor Podcast is hosted by Linus Wilson. Dr. Wilson earned his Ph.D. in 2007 from Oxford University. He has taught thousands of finance students at all levels. His research is in banking, financial crises, CEO pay, and corporate finance. He has been a source for over two hundred major news stories in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Financial Times, and other news organizations. He is a leading scholar on the TARP bank bailouts of the great recession.

  1. Jul 26

    "Weather and Summit Success on Denali" by Dr. Linus Wilson Ep. 22

    Abstract In this paper, we look at the daily weather data on the highest peak of North America to predict daily summit success rates. Denali (also known as Mt. McKinley) is 6,190 meters high or 20,310 feet. This is the first study to analyze daily weather to predict daily summit success. Higher temperatures and lower wind speeds at 14,200-foot camp, the highest weather station on the mountain during the period studied, 2015-2023, are associated with significantly higher summit rates. While weather does matter, more of the variance is explained by the date, indicating private and guided parties should plan their expeditions so they can have a chance at the summit in early June well in advance of reliable weather reports.   "Weather and Summit Success on Denali" by Dr. Linus Wilson  University of Louisiana at Lafayette - College of Business Administration Date Written: July 25, 2026 Keywords: Denali, Mount McKinley, seasonality, mountaineering, climbing, Seven Summits, highpointing, weather JEL Codes: Z20, Z30 Suggested Citation: Wilson, Linus, Weather and Summit Success on Denali (July 25, 2026). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=7182018   50 state high point playlist and ranking videos https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmISw2WoaEPwJDcgNIxIvcnFI9paECd0j&si=wQKtdG6qz7NU5R4Na   Dr. Linus Wilson's research is at www.linuswilson.com of www.financeprofessor.org   See my high point ranking at Wilson, Linus, Does Difficulty Affect U.S. State High Points Ascents? (July 20, 2023).  Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4516746 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4516746   See also Wilson, Linus, The Seasonality of Climbing Mt. McKinley (Denali) (March 17, 2026). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=6438122

  2. Jul 4

    "The Seasonality of Climbing Mt. McKinley (Denali)" by Dr. Linus Wilson Ep. 21

    The Seasonality of Climbing Mt. McKinley (Denali)   29 Pages Posted: 8 Apr 2026 by Linus Wilson University of Louisiana at Lafayette - College of Business Administration Date Written: March 17, 2026 Abstract This note finds that climbers are significantly more likely to summit Mount McKinley (Denali) in Alaska, the highest point in North America, in June or early July than other parts of the Mt. McKinley climbing season of late April to late July. Since climbs are typically 17-to-21 days round trip with a 15-to-18-day ascent, the highest chance of summitting will be for climbers arriving on the mountain in the last two weeks of May to the first two weeks of June.   Keywords: Denali, Mount Mckinley, Seasonality, Mountaineering, Climbing, Seven Summits, Highpointing Suggested Citation: Wilson, Linus, The Seasonality of Climbing Mt. McKinley (Denali) (March 17, 2026). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=6438122 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.6438122   Brought to you by www.linuswilson.com and www.financeprofessor.org   (c) 2026, Vermilion Advisory Services, LLC

  3. 12/27/2023

    ”Saving the Toughest for Last: 50th Completers’ Final U.S. State High Points” by Linus Wilson Ep. 20

    Saving the Toughest for Last: 50th Completers’ Final U.S. State High Points   21 Pages Posted: Linus Wilson University of Louisiana at Lafayette - College of Business Administration Date Written: December 27, 2023 Abstract This paper finds that the most difficult U.S. state high point climbs are saved for the end. 50th completers are significantly more likely to save more difficult U.S. state high points for their final high point ascent. There is also some more limited evidence that 50th completers save more distant high points for their final ascent.   Keywords: altitude, Appalachian Trail, ascent, climbing, Denali, difficulty index, high point, highpointing, hiking, Mauna Kea, mount, mountain, mountaineering, peak, peak bagging, state high point, through-hike, trekking, Yosemite Decimal System JEL Classification: R42, Q38, Z2, & Z3 Suggested Citation: Wilson, Linus, Saving the Toughest for Last: 50th Completers’ Final U.S. State High Points (December 27, 2023). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4677346.   www.linuswilson.com www.financeprofessor.org

  4. 07/21/2023

    ”Does Difficulty Affect U.S. State High Points Ascents?” by Dr. Linus Wilson, Ep. 19

    Does Difficulty Affect U.S. State High Points Ascents? Download it at https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4516746   24 Pages Posted: Linus Wilson University of Louisiana at Lafayette - College of Business Administration Date Written: July 20, 2023 Abstract We develop a six-factor ranking of U.S. state high points. While this index is significantly associated with fewer ascents, only one of the six factors drives that result. Technical difficulty is the only measure of high point difficulty that significantly discourages summits. Climbers seem indifferent to physical effort required and are significantly attracted to higher elevation U.S. state high points. We also show popular through hikes near the high point are associated with significantly more summits. This indicates that mountain communities could see surges in tourism if a route to the summit was made less technically difficult.   Keywords: altitude, Appalachian Trail, ascent, climbing, Denali, difficulty index, high point, highpointing, hiking, mount, mountain, mountaineering, Mt. Whitney, Pacific Crest Trail, peak, peak bagging, state high point, through-hike, trekking, Yosemite Decimal System JEL Classification: R42, Q38, Z2, Z3 Suggested Citation: Wilson, Linus, Does Difficulty Affect U.S. State High Points Ascents? (July 20, 2023). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4516746     Dr. Linus Wilson[1] Professor of Finance Department of Economics & Finance B.I. Moody III College of Business University of Louisiana at Lafayette Moody Hall, Room 253 P.O. Box 43709 Lafayette, LA 70504 (337) 482-6209 linus [dot] wilson {at} louisiana [dot] edu https://www.linuswilson.com www.financeprofessor.org

  5. 04/08/2023

    ”The Fed Funds Risk-Premium after the Silicon Valley Bank Run and the Bank Term Funding Program (BTFP)” Ep. 18 by Dr. Linus Wilson

    Dr. Linus Wilson reads his latest paper about the bank runs at SVB and Signature Bank and the Federal Reserve's emergency loan program to save the banks from further uninsured deposit runs.  The Fed Funds Risk-Premium after the Silicon Valley Bank Run and the Bank Term Funding Program (BTFP)   28 Pages Posted: Linus Wilson University of Louisiana at Lafayette - College of Business Administration Date Written: April 8, 2023 Abstract We find the emergency lending program introduced on March 12, 2023, called the Bank Term Funding Program (BTFP) coincided with a statistically significant increase in the risk-premium on Fed funds loans relative to the shortest-term T-bills. We find that the risk-premium on Fed funds loans less 28-day T-bills increased by between 39 to 56 basis points in the wake of the Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank runs. This led to a stealth loosening of monetary conditions without a Fed funds rate cut in part due to the incentives created by the BTFP to have banks hoard Treasuries and other eligible collateral.   Keywords: Bank Term Funding Program, BTFP, emergency lending Fed, Federal Reserve, Fed funds rate, Signature Bank, Silicon Valley Bank, T-bills, Treasuries JEL Classification: E43, E51, E52, G21, & G28 Suggested Citation: Wilson, Linus, The Fed Funds Risk-Premium after the Silicon Valley Bank Run and the Bank Term Funding Program (BTFP) (April 8, 2023). Available at SSRN: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4413362   See all of Dr. Linus Wilson's research at www.financeprofessor.org or www.linuswilson.com   This is not investment advice.

  6. 01/21/2023

    Profitable Timing of the Stock Market with the Senior Loan Officer Survey by Linus Wilson Ep. 17

    by Linus Wilson Abstract The loan standards question in the Federal Reserve’s quarterly Senior Loan Officer Survey is shown to be predictive of quarterly stock returns a month or two after its release. This is an apparent violation of semi-strong form stock market efficiency. Out-of-sample, we use this signal and develop a simple risk and alpha model to market time the S&P 500. It outperformed the S&P 500 with a Sharpe (1966) ratio of 1.9 versus 0.34 for passive investment.   Keywords: alpha, commercial and industrial loans, investing, loan standards, market efficiency, market timing, stock market, portfolio theory, returns, risk-model, semi-strong form, Senior Loan Officer Survey, Sharpe ratio, survey JEL Classification: G11, G14, G17, & G21   Wilson, Linus, Profitable Timing of the Stock Market with the Senior Loan Officer Survey (January 21, 2023). Available at SSRN: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4332525   See all of Dr. Linus Wilson's research at www.financeprofessor.org or www.linuswilson.com   This is not investment advice.

  7. 12/28/2021

    Estimating the Value of Statistical Life (VSL) Losses from COVID-19 Infections in the United States

    This is the substantially revised version of this paper.    Estimating the Value of Statistical Life (VSL) Losses from COVID-19 Infections in the United States   29 Pages Posted: 21 Apr 2020 Last revised: 6 Dec 2021 Linus Wilson University of Louisiana at Lafayette - College of Business Administration Date Written: December 3, 2021 Abstract This paper uses the Value of Statistical Life (VSL) literature to weigh the costs and benefits of non-pharmaceutical interventions of the U.S. COVID-19 stay-at-home orders that affected 92 percent of the U.S. workforce at their peak in April 2020. We calculate the pre-vaccine COVID-19 infection fatality rate to have been 0.85 percent. We find that the stay-at-home orders saved most likely about 71,000 lives and led to a net benefit to the United States of 1.7 percent of GDP after accounting for lives saved and drops in workforce participation. Through October 31, 2021, the VSL of U.S. lives lost to COVID-19 was over $8.4 trillion.   Keywords: cost-benefit, CFR, COVID-19, IFR, NPI, SARS-CoV-2, social distancing, stay-at-home orders, VSL JEL Classification: G22, I1, I18, J31, J65, K32 Suggested Citation: Wilson, Linus, Estimating the Value of Statistical Life (VSL) Losses from COVID-19 Infections in the United States (December 3, 2021). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3580414 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3580414

  8. 09/12/2021

    GPU Prices and Cryptocurrency Returns. Is the crypto boom creating a semiconductor shortage? with Linus Wilson #15

    Dr. Linus Wilson discusses and reads his most recent study about the cryptocurrency mining and computer hardware prices entitled "GPU Prices and Cryptocurrency Returns".   "Abstract  We look at the association between the price of a cryptocurrency and the secondary market prices  of the hardware used to mine it. We find the prices of the most efficient Graphical Processing Units  (GPUs) for Ethereum mining are significantly positively correlated with the daily price returns to  that cryptocurrency.  Journal of Economic Literature Codes: G12, G23, L11, L22, L63  Keywords: 3080, ASIC, Bitcoin, crypto, cryptocurrency, ETH, Ethereum, GeForce, GPU,  mining, Nvidia, RTX  by Dr. Linus Wilson Associate Professor of Finance  Department of Economics & Finance  B.I. Moody III College of Business  University of Louisiana at Lafayette "   "1. Introduction  We use a unique data set of scalper prices for graphical processing units (GPUs) to study  the association between the price of Ethereum (ticker ETH) and the hardware used to mine it.  We find the most efficient ETH mining GPUs as measured by secondary market price per  productivity unit (called the hashrate) had secondary market price moves that were positively  correlated with daily returns to ETH.  Most of the prior research into cryptocurrency mining has focussed on Bitcoin and does  not measure the impact between the cryptocurrency’s price’s correlation with key mining  hardware. Dimitri (2017) and Ma et al. (2019) model Bitcoin mining as an all-pay tournament.  Ma et al. (2019) argue that free entry in mining is ultimately wasteful in part because Bitcoin  miners consumed more electricity than all of Australia. Easley et al. (2019) are sceptical about  the usefulness of Bitcoin as a medium of exchange as its network could only process seven  transactions per second versus Visa which can process 50,000 transactions per second. Cong et  al. (2021) find that mining pools help cryptocurrency miners eliminate ideosyncratic risk.  Kristoufek (2020) finds that price of Bitcoin over the long-term impacted the cost of mining  components. Mueller (2020) looks at entry and exit thresholds for both Bitcoin and Ethereum  miners.  In section 2, the GPU mining market for cryptocurrency is discussed and basic model of  GPU pricing with ETH mining is developed. The data sources are discussed in section 3. In  section 4, the statistical analysis indicates that the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060ti and the RTX  3080 GPUs are significantly more attractively priced for ETH mining, and their prices are  positively correlated with daily price moves in Ethereum. "   The paper link is at  https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3922181   (c) Linus Wilson, 2021, Vermilion Advisory Services, LLC www.linuswilson.com www.financeprofessor.org www.financeprofessor.net

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About

The Finance Professor Podcast is hosted by Linus Wilson. Dr. Wilson earned his Ph.D. in 2007 from Oxford University. He has taught thousands of finance students at all levels. His research is in banking, financial crises, CEO pay, and corporate finance. He has been a source for over two hundred major news stories in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Financial Times, and other news organizations. He is a leading scholar on the TARP bank bailouts of the great recession.

Information

  • Creator
    Linus Wilson
  • Years Active
    2017 - 2026
  • Episodes
    22
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2017 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    The Finance Professor Podcast