Amazon was founded on July 5, 1994 by Jeff Bezos from his garage in Bellevue, Washington. The company originally started out as an online marketplace for books. However, it has quickly grown into the largest online shopping site globally now worth about $1.75 trillion. In 2023, Amazon made $575 billion through global retail sales. Despite this massive amount of revenue generated on a yearly basis, … Continue reading Amazon: A Failing Company?
Human behaviour, especially when it deviates from rational decision-making, has become increasingly significant in the realm of modern investment strategy; traditional economic models’ expectations of rationality no longer paint the whole picture. By applying psychological principles to economic analysis, behavioural economics adds nuance to the investment decision-making framework of individual investors. This interdisciplinary approach creates awareness that investors are subject to cognitive biases, emotions, and … Continue reading The Behavioural Economics of Investment
It is well documented that Germany’s post world war recovery was remarkable, facilitated by the Marshall Plan (America’s post-war economic aid package to Europe) and its ordoliberal approach to the economy. By the Fall of the Berlin Wall, the economy of West Germany was the world’s second largest. Despite post-war fragility and economic stagnation in the 1990s, under the guidance of Angela Merkel Germany’s economy … Continue reading Germany’s economy – Sick or Tired?
The European Union, since its creation in 1993, has always had to maintain a delicate balance between its control and the autonomy of its member states, to both uphold its rules and to allow a country’s culture and society to remain. Yet, it has so far delivered many benefits economically to its members states. However, with Brexit and the rise of right-wing, Eurosceptic parties across … Continue reading Could the EU Collapse?
It’s the summer of 2004 and Greece is at the centre of the world. Their national football team has just defeated hosts Portugal in the final of the European Championship to complete one of the most remarkable sporting underdog stories. In just a month, the Summer Olympics will be returning to the birthplace of the ancient Games – Athens – after a period of 108 … Continue reading Bust to Boom: Greece’s Economic Resurgence
Taxation is the most significant way in which a government receives its income. Last year, the UK government raised around £1,017 billion in tax revenue, accounting for approximately 40% of GDP. A similar trend is seen within governments worldwide, with tax revenue being the primary source of government income. Governments tend to rely so heavily on tax revenue, but it is necessary to consider other … Continue reading Can we solely rely on printed money?
In 2001, South Africa based Naspers made an investment in a relatively unknown Chinese firm named Tencent. This shrewd move has since become world renowned as one of the most lucrative and profitable “investments” in the history of investing. Naspers, a small, local multi-media holding company under the stewardship of Koos Bekker, invested $32 million in Tencent, acquiring a 46.5% stake. This early investment was a significant boost for Tencent, providing the financial support and lasting partnership needed to expand and develop its products. Thus it … Continue reading Could this be the greatest financial investment ever made?
Inflation, a persistent rise in the general level of prices, poses significant challenges to an economy. Controlling inflation is crucial for maintaining economic stability and safeguarding consumers’ purchasing power. High and persistent inflation has been a significant global issue over the past 18 months, with global inflation reaching 9.3% in October 2022. The UK, however, has been hit especially hard by inflation, with price increases … Continue reading How can we control inflation?
In August 1980 during Margaret Thatcher’s first year in office, her government produced a Housing Act. Despite its lengthy and repetitive nature, its bold intention stood out: “to give … the right to buy their homes … to tenants of local authorities”. It proposed the idea that previously state-owned houses be sold back to the people. These homes were offered at 33% below their market value, … Continue reading “Right to buy” Evolution or Revolution
In a world increasingly concerned with environmental sustainability and the impact of climate change, innovative financial instruments (a monetary contract which can be traded e.g. a stock, bond, derivative) have recently emerged as effective tools to fund projects and initiatives aimed at mitigating environmental damage. Of these instruments, green bonds, have gained prominence as a means to raise capital for projects with positive environmental benefits. … Continue reading Green Bonds: Financing a Sustainable Future
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