The Collapse of Thames Water

Amidst a cascade of financial challenges and operational setbacks, Thames Water finds itself at a critical juncture. It is teetering on the brink of a profound transformation, with headlines echoing defaults on debt, investor withdrawals, and a funding crisis. From regulatory scrutiny to underinvestment in infrastructure, Thames Water’s journey to this precarious position reflects a complex interplay of factors. As stakeholders grapple with the repercussions, … Continue reading The Collapse of Thames Water

Paris Olympics and the French Economy

On 26th July, Paris will welcome 14,000 athletes from 206 countries, 9 million audience members and 4 billion television spectators to join the Olympic Opening Ceremony. French President Emmanuel Macron has articulated a vision for a “wide open” Games designed to spread opportunities and maximise the benefits for the long-term unemployed, small businesses and deprived communities. In his new year’s address Macron predicted the “Paris 2024 … Continue reading Paris Olympics and the French Economy

Justice in exchange: the ideas of the Scholastics

What is a just price? On the face of it, this might seem like a fairly arbitrary question; in a capitalist, free market economy, businesses seek to maximise their profits, and thus charge consumers the highest price that they are willing to pay. However, is it fair for a business to protect their profit margins in a time of inflation and a rising cost of … Continue reading Justice in exchange: the ideas of the Scholastics

Amazon: A Failing Company?

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?

Climate change and economic growth: an impossible trade-off?

The first week of June 2023 was the hottest in recorded history. The planet has not seen a hotter week, month or year in the last 120,000 years. At current rates of inaction, temperature rise could reach 1.5°C  by the turn of the decade. “We are hurtling towards disaster, eyes wide open,” remarked António Guterres, UN Secretary-General. As climate change looms large, it has become clear … Continue reading Climate change and economic growth: an impossible trade-off?

The Behavioural Economics of Investment

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