Please remain seated

Crises supposedly bring out the best in people. Sadly, the credit crunch hasn’t done so with most Wall Street stock analysts. Their calls have been little help to battered shareholders, mostly filled with Pollyanish sunshine rather than helpful portents of doom. True, a few saw trouble brewing and alerted their clients. And in any case, analysts have a certain amount of responsibility not to set off stampedes. Financial institutions are built upon confidence. An irresponsible call can set a pani...