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Ryan O'Connell

Ryan O’Connell spent his career on Wall Street as a lawyer, banker and for 25 years as a bond analyst for firms including Moody’s, Citigroup, Morgan Stanley and Bloomberg. He specialized in banks and other financial institutions, both in the United States and abroad.

His professional background has given him an unusual perspective on the interplay between politics, economics and the markets.

Mr. O’Connell served as a senior vice president at Moody’s Investors Service, covering large international banks. During the global financial crisis, Mr. O’Connell had a ringside seat covering banks as an analyst for the institutional research unit (sell-side) of Citigroup, when the bank almost failed. Mr. O’Connell also worked as a buy-side analyst at Morgan Stanley Investment Management and at Bloomberg LLP, as a research analyst.

A lifelong Democrat, Mr. O’Connell believes strongly in free capital markets but also the need for effective government regulation to tame the markets’ occasional excesses. He has been writing a blog on politics, The Wall Street Democrat, for several years.

Mr. O’Connell is a graduate of Harvard University and the University of Pennsylvania Law School.

Articles by Ryan O'Connell

Will Ukraine Be a Replay of Poland in 1939?

To prevent a Russian invasion of Ukraine, the U.S. and NATO can’t rely on sanctions alone. History offers a clear message on appeasement.

January 12, 2022

Keeping China at Bay: Biden’s Trillion Dollar Infrastructure Blueprint

The best way to counter China's propaganda would be for the Biden infrastructure programs to show that democracy works by providing concrete benefits to Americans.

June 9, 2021

U.S. Republicans: Flirting With Fascism

Like their German counterparts in the 1930s, Donald Trump’s Republican enablers in the U.S. Congress have lots of intelligence but no principles.

May 14, 2021

US Corporations: The US’s New Principled Liberals?

Republicans increasingly force U.S. corporations to act as a kind of extra-parliamentary opposition to protect their brands and consumer appeal.

April 12, 2021

Should the Biden Administration Prosecute Trump?

One of the toughest decisions that Joe Biden will have to make as President is whether to authorize the U.S. Department of Justice to prosecute Donald Trump for obstructing justice.

December 8, 2020

Should the Democrats Pack the US Supreme Court?

Democrats should focus on passing laws if they win the White House and the Senate -- rather than changing the size of the Supreme Court.

October 28, 2020

Biden 1, Trump 0 in the First Round

Democrats who had been anxious about how Biden would perform can breathe a sigh of relief.

October 1, 2020

Is Joe Biden A “Socialist”? Not With These Tax Plans

Despite Trump’s assertions, Biden’s tax plans are far removed from “radical socialism.”

September 22, 2020

Come November, a US Coup d’Etat?

Could Donald Trump call out the U.S. Army again, after losing the November election?

June 10, 2020

Trump: The Very Selective Corruption Fighter

U.S. President Donald Trump claims he cares about corruption in Ukraine...but not Hungary and Turkey?

January 31, 2020

Buttigieg Steps Up His Game, But…

Can the South Bend, Indiana mayor bridge the racial divide to advance to the top tier of Democratic Party nomination for the 2020 race?

October 18, 2019

What Trump Really Said to Ukraine’s President

A leaked copy of the transcript of the July phone call between Donald Trump and the newly-elected President of Ukraine.

September 24, 2019