News Briefing – 17/01/22
We’ve summarised the top stories of the last week into an easily digestible briefing, so that you can stay up to date on what’s happening around the world. You can subscribe to receive the briefing in your inbox each week. Business & Economics Inflation in the US jumped to 7% in December 2021. The consumer price index illustrated that food and energy prices were the … Continue reading News Briefing – 17/01/22
The Fed vs. Santa
In the run-up to last year’s festive period, many stock investors were eagerly anticipating their annual gift from Father Christmas – the Santa Claus rally. This refers to a seasonal upwards trend in the US stock market during the last five trading days in December and the first two in January. According to the Stock Trader’s Almanac, the S&P 500 historically tends to rise by an … Continue reading The Fed vs. Santa
News Briefing – 6/12/21
We’ve summarised the top stories of the last week into an easily digestible briefing, so that you can stay up to date on what’s happening around the world. You can subscribe to receive the briefing in your inbox each week. Business & Economics In November, US employers added 210,000 jobs – a disappointing figure compared to forecasts of 550,000 jobs. It is also less than half the … Continue reading News Briefing – 6/12/21
China-US Trade Wars: What are the strategic reasons behind China’s stance?
The largest cause of shocks to worldwide stock markets in recent years – other than COVID 19 – has been the threat of the introduction and escalation of the trade war between the US and China. During this conflict, hundreds of billions of dollars have been wiped off the global economy, with the brunt of economic losses being felt by the US and China. In … Continue reading China-US Trade Wars: What are the strategic reasons behind China’s stance?
The Dark Side of the Belt and Road Initiative
The last 40 years have seen China’s GDP grow by a record 9.1% per annum, attracting a plethora of investors and businesses worldwide. With its newfound capital, it has gained international influence through trade and become the world’s largest trading partner in 2012. China seeks to optimize this trade network through the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a scheme unveiled in 2013 by Chinese President … Continue reading The Dark Side of the Belt and Road Initiative
The Psychology of Investing
It is only recently that the concept of human nature has been applied to economics, yet its impact can be seen everywhere. Contradicting traditional economic theory, it is believed now that human nature is intrinsic in every action we take from the small scale to the large. The recent GameStop trend was fuelled by individual investors taking an opportunity to turn a profit and retaliate … Continue reading The Psychology of Investing
Private Tutoring – South Korea
South Korea is renowned for its rapid economic growth and successes in the manufacturing industries, such as Samsung, and education is considered to be one of the key drivers. Better quality education is related to higher GDP, increased productivity and rising wages due to the positive externalities that arise from its consumption. Furthermore, private tutoring (PT) is a crucial element of education in South Korea … Continue reading Private Tutoring – South Korea
Russia, 1998. What Went Wrong?
On the 13th of August, 1998, the stock, bond, and currency markets of a recently liberalised Russia collapsed. Confidence in the strength of the ruble and the Russian government plummeted. The stock market even closed for 35 minutes with stocks having lost 75% of their value since January of that year. 4 days later, Russia defaulted on their own state bonds and commercial banks declared … Continue reading Russia, 1998. What Went Wrong?
Chart of the Month – December 2021
In 2021, remittances to low and middle-income countries are predicted to total $589 billion. December’s Chart of the Month explains why these remittances (money sent by migrant workers back to their country) are so crucial to developing nations. Life for migrants has been tough since the pandemic hit. Many have been stranded from families overseas or been vulnerable to COVID-19 as their jobs were commonly on the … Continue reading Chart of the Month – December 2021
Can economic growth and environmental sustainability coexist?
Economic growth and environmental sustainability are two of the most widely discussed topics today. While both of these issues are extremely important and cannot be easily prioritised over one another, it is widely believed that trying to solve one issue can only negatively impact the other. The crucial nature of maximising economic growth and achieving environmental sustainability where GDP remains “3.1% below pre-pandemic levels”, and … Continue reading Can economic growth and environmental sustainability coexist?
