The article discusses the equity risk premium, which is the extra return investors expect from stocks compared to safe investments. Estimating this premium is tricky, with different methods leading to varying results. Historical data shows Danish stocks had a 5% risk premium from 1970-2002, lower than in the USA. Economic factors like growth and inflation can also affect the risk premium. After 9/11, stock prices fell, suggesting investors became more risk-averse, potentially increasing the risk premium.