PETER ATWATER
Observation of the number of pharmaceutical companies that raised the price over by huge percentages on one or more of their high selling, life preserving drugs. There were some who claimed that there was a plan by the pharmaceutical industry to take advantage of the fact that certain drugs were necessary to preserve life. The quotation however was an excellent description of how the general public makes decisions about many aspects of economics, crime, corruption, and many other aspects of our society. The principle not only seems to generally hold for negative things but also positives such as whether a government program is working or whether a company innovates great products.
About Peter Atwater Leading consultant and Minyanville contributor Peter Atwater has helped institutional investors, corporations and policymakers map changing social moods to emerging market shifts, and use that knowledge to identify huge new market opportunities. Recently called “one of the smartest guys you never heard of on anything financial” by Herb Greenberg of CNBC, Peter is the president of Financial Insyghts, a consulting firm that advises institutional investors, corporations and public policymakers on issues affecting the financial services industry and how social mood affects decision making and the markets. After a successful career in financial services, including 13 years with JPMorgan building that firm’s asset-backed securities business and executive leadership roles at Bank One, Peter turned his attention to socionomics – how changes in social mood drive changes in our behavior. Today, through his firm, Financial Insyghts, he brings a practical understanding of the world of finance coupled with a keen awareness of human decision making. Peter is the author of “Moods and Markets” (FTPress) which provides specific practical insights for investors on how changes in confidence drive the capital markets. Already, Peter’s analysis has drawn significant media attention, including profiles by Gillian Tett in the Financial Times and Rana Foroohar in Time Magazine. Peter graduated with honors from The College of William and Mary in 1983 with BA in Economics and is a member of Phi Beta Kappa. He currently serves on the board and chairs the Finance Committee of the William and Mary Foundation, the College’s endowment.
