It is not very often that you find someone who can explain the complex intricacies of financial markets with a wicked sense of humor. Peter Ricchiuti, who is a business school professor at Tulane University’s Freeman School of Business, has been continually recognized for his unique ability to do just that — a rare trait among most economics speakers. Author of Stocks Under Rocks and host of his own business show on New Orleans’ National Public Radio called Out to Lunch, Peter has proved time and time again that he can offer an invaluable combination as a speaker: entertainment and business insight. Peter’s insight is well-backed up with ample financial experience: he began his career at investment firm Kidder Peabody, and eventually went on to manage a substantial amount of money, over three billion dollars, while he served as the assistant treasurer for Louisiana. Peter has also given a lot back to his students. In addition to his teaching, he founded Tulane University’s renowned Burkenroad Reports student stock research program in 1993.
Peter’s business opinion is frequently featured in prominent, respected media sources, including newspapers The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post. On the other end of the spectrum, Peter has also hosted workshops for groups including the New Orleans Saints. These are just a few examples, though — throughout the past two decades, Peter has talked to thousands of different groups, both in the U.S. and all over the world. If you are looking for an engaging, entertaining speaker for a finance-related event, Peter’s talks on economics consistently demonstrate that contrary to what you might think, finance and humor do not have to be mutually exclusive.
In Peter’s talk “Market Signals: What the Financial Markets Are Telling Us Now,” he shares his perhaps unexpected thoughts on why majority thinking can be so faulty. Peter covers a variety of topics in this program, including Politics and Your Investments, Outlook for the Deficit and Interest Rates, Outlook for Energy Prices, Market Valuation Techniques, and Pros and Cons of International Investing. Not only does Peter share his views on these topics, he also weighs in on why proper diversification is important and how stocks and investment sectors are cyclical.
In “Uncertainty Brings Opportunity,” Peter sheds light on how the financial market can be viewed through a historical lens — the media may portray economic events one way, but they can also be understood from observing historical patterns.