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FT Channels brings expert insights from the Financial Times and our Partners into the most pressing issues of our time, from sustainability to the global economy. Each series of videos and articles homes in on your personal interests, offering a deeper look into topics that will fascinate and inspire you. Tap into a world of new ideas
Companies
A closer look at companies making waves in the global market. Authoritative insights into topics from M&A trends and tech transformation to the businesses helping to build a sustainable future.
ESG and the rise of sustainable dealmaking
Environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues are fast becoming a central part of how investors and companies are preparing for the future.
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The pandemic has stalled activist investors, but for how long?
Activist investors have had a quiet year, thanks to Covid-19. Even a group of investors renowned for their aggressive tactics were reluctant to publicly attack companies reeling from the impact of a global pandemic.
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Spacs: the blank-cheque blitz of 2020
Special purpose acquisition companies, or Spacs, have taken Wall Street by storm this year. Spacs are shell companies that raise money by listing on the stock exchange.
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Masayoshi Son and the faulty crystal ball
In fairy tales, a crystal ball can be many things: it can reveal the future, but it can also be a malevolent charm.
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How SoftBank’s Masayoshi Son struggled with his crystal ball purchase
Why has Chinese dealmaking fizzled out? Due Diligence’s dynamic duo, James Fontanella-Khan and Arash Massoudi, answer this question in a brilliant comic book style video.
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Can cross-border transactions fuel growth in a post-Covid world?
As the markets start to stabilise in the fourth quarter of a challenging year for M&A, a number of significant trends have emerged.
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Small is beautiful: private equity adapts to the pandemic
Digital transformation driven by M&A: what are the legal implications?
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Digital transformation driven by M&A: what are the legal implications?
Digital transformation driven by M&A: what are the legal implications?
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M&A in the wake of Covid-19: strategies for a healthy business
Several months into this global pandemic and businesses are facing a pivotal moment. Government reinforcement from bailouts and support schemes has been quick to land, but despite this injection of liquidity, the global economy will shrink by 5.2 per cent
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The Occidental megadeal that didn’t go quite as planned
M&A is tough. Megadeals can be even tougher. That’s exactly what Vicki Hollub, CEO of Houston-based Occidental Petroleum, discovered with last year’s $55bn takeover of US shale oil producer Anadarko Petroleum.
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How a big deal backfired at Occidental Petroleum
Last year Vicki Hollub, the CEO of Houston-based Occidental Petroleum, pulled off one of the biggest coups in the history of big oil.
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Biodiversity: the risks of living outside nature’s boundaries
From bacteria to blue whales and from fungi to flowers, the loss of Earth’s biodiversity and the subsequent damage to our ecosystem is one of the top ten dangers facing society today.
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Build Back Better: the unmissable opportunity to build a sustainable economic future
A post COVID world is one that will look quite different to a pre-COVID world.
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What toilet paper shortages tell us about supply chains
FT Trade Secrets writer Aime Williams goes on a mission to find toilet roll.
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Sponge Cities - Smart cities for the future
It seems inevitable, in the short-term at least, that Wuhan will be remembered most widely outside of China as the city at the centre of the coronavirus outbreak.
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Agriculture's New Apps: Precision Innovation to Feed the World
Precision weather tracking, ‘blood pressure monitoring’ for plants and complex nutrient analysis apps are now the must-have tools for modern farmers.
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Succeeding in the electric vehicle business is no easy ride
Scores of electric car start-ups have been launched over the past few years, but many may have failed to recognise the size of the challenges involved.
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When will the corporate dealmaking boom end?
The past five years have seen over $20tn worth of M&A deals thanks to favourable market conditions, as well as resilience in the face of more recent risks.
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Where will Buffett find his next blockbuster deal?
Warren Buffett has long been admired for his investment decisions but a multibillion-dollar writedown at Kraft Heinz earlier this year has left a big blemish on his recent performance.
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The transformational impact of tech
As technology continues to reshape large industrial companies, M&A activity in this sector is on the up. It brings with it a transformation of global workforces and a shift in national identities.
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Taking on challengers: how established consumer goods companies need to rethink their strategy in an evolving market
For big, established consumer-products manufacturers, growing - or even just maintaining - market share has become a bigger task than ever as the rise of so-called challenger brands make inroads into mature markets.
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Are profits still a good thing?
Uber. Lyft. Snap. These US tech groups floated with multibillion-dollar valuations, yet all of them made losses last year, one-offs excluded.
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Could electric power transform aviation?
The number of electric aviation projects is soaring, and with some plans involving aircraft seating more than 100 passengers, this market will not just be for small, light air taxis.
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DYSFUNCTIONAL: exploring sustainability through design
Artist Mathieu Lehanneur discusses his work for new exhibit DYSFUNCTIONAL, created in partnership with Carpenters Workshop Gallery and Lombard Odier.
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Reinventing Energy
The energy sector is undergoing huge transformation, Adrian Del Maestro, Director at Strategy& outlines how our dreams of a cleaner, greener, more efficient world will be driven by the consumer
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Big pharma’s billion-dollar bets
In dealmaking, big used to be better. Banks such as JPMorgan Chase, Deutsche Bank and Citigroup dominated the M&A market.
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Why oil and gas companies are transforming business models to sell services into your home
Imagine a world in which there is a fridge-sized energy storage battery in the basement of your home, solar panels on your roof and an electric vehicle smart charger installed on your driveway
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The road ahead for autonomous vehicles is longer yet more promising than many believe
Scarcely a week goes by without another major announcement in the world of autonomous vehicles (AVs).
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Distress to Impress
With indicators pointing to the peak of the current financial cycle, an economic downturn could be imminent, bringing with it an uptick in distressed M&A activity.
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Tesla's ramping up production of the Model 3
Tesla's ramping up production of the Model 3. But is the electric vehicle evolutionary, or revolutionary?
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Rise of the robo-taxi: driving transport disruption
Robo-taxis are coming. Singapore will be testing vehicles as early as next year, and ultimately they could prove significantly cheaper and more popular than current mass-transit systems.
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Electric Vehicles: Who wins under the hood?
Electric Vehicles are going mainstream, but when will they become profitable for manufacturers, and which sectors and firms are set to benefit the most?
Watch videoTechnology
Tracking the global technology sector and the growing dominance of big tech firms. Expert insights into world-shaping trends, from artificial intelligence, Big Data and the internet of things to cybersecurity, social media and the digital economy.
Climate change and the migrant caravan
Thousands of Central Americans are trying to flee to the United States in what’s become known as the migrant caravan. Many are escaping violence and extortion, but climate change is also playing a part.
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5G's business model revolution
The tech evolution enabling business model revolutions. 5G could cover up to sixty percent of the global population, and reach up to one and a half billion subscribers within five years.
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Could texting be the next big thing in ecommerce?
In China, the use of texting to shop, hail cabs or buy groceries is the norm.
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Why technology is the biggest disruptor of traditional M&A
As technology continues to reshape large industrial companies, to what extent can these businesses still be deemed ‘traditional’?
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Transformative Tech Connected
A raft of new technologies is set to fundamentally change the way we live, work and relate to one another. Individually, each piece of tech is a game changer. Collectively, they’re revolutionary. Explore the infographic.
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Delivery drones: the battle for airborne supremacy heats up
The race for delivery drones is gathering speed. Walmart, Amazon, Uber and DHL are among the companies aiming to get items to people more quickly and cheaply, especially in traffic-congested cities.
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Computer vision: the rise of image analysis technology
Computer vision is a hugely promising technology. It covers applications across dozens of industries ranging from medicine to self-driving cars and even shopping. There’s one small nation at this industry’s forefront: Israel.
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The future of digital trade
Driven by technological advances, digital trade now accounts for $2.86tn of the global economy but with non-tariff barriers on the rise, is trust the missing link to fuel international trade?
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The promise of 5G
The advent of 5G networks promises to transform how we live and work with increased connectivity and lightning data speeds, but who's set to benefit the most?
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Robotaxis: rollout, returns and the impact on mass transit
UBS Evidence Lab developed a simulation model for a fleet of taxis in NYC which concluded that the global market could be worth more than two trillion dollars by the end of 2030.
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Using AI to spot potential rogue traders
Rogue traders can cost banks billions. Now, some are using artificial intelligence programmes to flag suspicious behaviour, looking at everything from how traders phrase their emails to the times they use their computers.
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Ripe for disruption, insurance has an opportunity to profit from digitalisation
Almost every day in London's Square Mile, brokers clutching bulky folders stuffed with paper documents and files criss-cross the busy streets en route to one of the city's insurance markets to discuss policies for their commercial clients.
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Why women should invest in women
Men dominate the venture capital scene. A recent UK study found that less than one per cent of venture capital goes to businesses founded by women.
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The rise of the #MeOnly society
People are living longer and children have always been expected to look after their parents in old age. But the FT’s Roger Blitz is convinced individuals are becoming more self-centred and less interested in the family.
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Autonomous vehicles: reshaping mobility
Autonomous vehicles have the potential to transform mobility completely, but with major roadblocks such as regulation and policy to overcome, how soon until they become ubiquitous on UK roads?
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Nets and harpoons: how to clear up space junk
Space junk is a massive challenge for a fast-growing satellite industry worth billions of dollars. There are hundreds of thousands of pieces of space junk whizzing around in earth’s orbit and even a fleck of paint can do serious damage.
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Will gene editing increase inequality?
A Chinese scientist claims to have created the world’s first genome-edited babies, but won't this cause more inequality in society?
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Deep-sea mining: vital resource or environmental disaster?
Chief Economist of Lombard Odier Samy Chaar shares his diagnosis for Europe's economy ""We're not going to run the marathon tomorrow, but we're doing ok"".
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A Diagnosis for Europe
Chief Economist of Lombard Odier Samy Chaar shares his diagnosis for Europe's economy ""We're not going to run the marathon tomorrow, but we're doing ok"".
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Will China win the AI arms race?
The worldwide AI race is on. China’s openly targeting global leadership by 2030, and it’s well on the way. AI's fuelled by data, and that gives China a competitive advantage.
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Should we be frightened of AI?
Could computers ever replicate humans and take over the world? It’s unlikely, according to leading neuroscientist David Eagleman, largely because what it means to be human is constantly evolving.
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The Power of AI: a catalyst for organisational reinvention
As Artificial Intelligence accelerates more deeply into the business mainstream, David Lancefield, Partner, Strategy& outlines the benefits AI can bring to an organisation
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The future of government
Digital Government means using the technology we associate with the fourth industrial revolution for the benefit of citizens.
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Should robots be taxed?
Robots are on the march, sparking much debate about what to do with the workers they’ll replace.
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Blockchain in the Silicon Savannah
One of the most innovative blockchain and cryptocurrency hubs on the planet right now is in Nairobi, Kenya.
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Can Big Tech’s threat to democracy be tamed?
Fake news is now a political weapon. Tech platforms have been used to manipulate elections and political outcomes, not just in the US but in Europe and developing countries too.
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Four things to know before you invest in an ICO
In 2017 initial coin offerings, the latest tech craze, raised more than $6bn. But there is little regulation for these digital tokens, and they can be risky investments.
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Emerging markets: macro worry, micro euphoria
There’s a macro-micro divide in emerging markets. The IMF and BIS are warning against rising corporate debt, yet P/E ratios are soaring.
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Powering the Internet of Things
The Internet of Things is growing rapidly - by 2020 it is estimated there will be 50bn smart devices.
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Robot teams are tech's next frontier
There are 2m industrial robots globally and that number is growing rapidly. The next step in their evolution is getting them to work together, rather than repeating a single task over and over.
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Mind-controlled robots: the factories of the future?
The ability to control the physical world with your mind using a brain-computer interface or a mind machine has traditionally been focused on health care, and more recently the gaming industry.
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Hyperloop: designing the future of transport?
Elon Musk hopes to revolutionise public transport with Hyperloop - a system capable of speeds of more than 1200 kilometres per hour with zero emissions. Musk’s company Space X is running a student competition to advance the technology.
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The problem with scaling up the tech that powers self-driving cars
Driverless cars will remain a niche proposition until the expensive sensor tech that enables them, Lidar, can be produced quickly and cheaply.
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The remarkable industrial technology transforming our lives
Sweeping advances in manufacturing, transport and broadband capacity are creating waves of change across the globe. Soon these industries will meet, in a confluence of technologies that is set to trigger a tipping point.
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The next transport revolution
Driverless cars and the hyperloop have dominated headlines, but the next big things could be flying cars and automated subterranean tunnels.
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Cybercrime: how safe is our money in a cashless world?
The drive towards a cashless society may eventually eliminate cash-based crimes, but there are myriad ways our digital life can be exploited by criminals and even governments.
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Protectionism in Practice: examining the economic impact of tariffs
If the US put tariffs on Chinese goods, the impact would be felt way beyond the borders of both countries. China is the world’s biggest exporter, but it’s also the second biggest importer, with many of those imports coming from other Asian countries.
Watch videoEconomy
A wide-ranging exploration of significant economic trends - global, regional and sectoral. Insightful comment on topics from globalisation, digital supply chains and trade wars to sustainability, ESG investing and the future of payments.
Supermarkets’ super struggle to make money from home delivery boom
Covid-19 has led to an ecommerce surge in grocery sales. But grocers are struggling to make any money from online home deliveries.
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Globalisation – from slowdown to stasis?
Covid-19 won’t mark a turning point for globalisation itself, reveals new research from UBS, as it’s been in retreat for the better part of 15 years.
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Could the coronavirus hasten the death of cash?
Cash is on the decline, and the coronavirus could well hasten its demise. During lockdowns, consumers shifted to online retail and were encouraged not to use cash, to prevent the spread of the virus.
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Build it green: Is data the key to green financing?
Primary school completion rates hit nearly 100% in Sudan and Tanzania with the installation of solar panels. This is how greener infrastructure can create fairer societies and boost economic growth.
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How coronavirus is changing global shipping routes
The pandemic has put intense pressure on the flow of ships from Asia to the west.
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Trade and the environment: why it's not all about air miles
Senior FT trade writer Alan Beattie explains how the true environmental cost of trading flowers, meat and fruit globally is becoming clearer as debate focuses on the carbon footprint of these products and their contribution to global warming.
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The rise and fall of global trade from the Romans to coronavirus
Senior FT trade writer Alan Beattie on the forces behind the surge and collapse of globalisation, from the Roman and Mongol empires to Donald Trump and Covid-19
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Mastering the art of sustainable architecture
In a nation where space is at a premium, the Dutch are leaders in creating environmentally friendly buildings. From repurposed redundant structures to modular, transportable studios and floating neighbourhoods, the FT’s Helen Barrett explores three comple
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The digital technologies transforming the supply chain
Whether they’re tracking the origin of valuable assets or allowing consumers to discover more about the sustainability of their purchases, digital technologies are making the supply chain ever more efficient, and transparent.
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Conscious capitalism
The so-called ESG business space is currently reckoned to be worth more than some $32tn. The FT’s Gillian Tett explains that companies are realising they cannot afford to ignore issues like climate change, income inequality and a whole range of governance
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Repricing risk
Christine Korwin-Szymanowska, Partner at Strategy& believes the global insurance industry is on the cusp of a seismic transformation, estimating the value of disruption coming to the UK insurance sector to be worth £30bn.
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Can we build smarter people using AI?
Theoretical neuroscientist and entrepreneur Vivienne Ming believes that AI and what she calls “augmented intelligence” mean we’ll eventually have people who are artificially smarter than others.
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Hotels in fifty shades of green
Who wants to worry about taking care of the environment when they’re on holiday? No one, according to Xenia zu Hohenlohe, partner at Considerate Group, which is which is why she thinks hotels should do the job for their guests.
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Creating a circular economy for fashion
Waste in fashion is on a massive scale, and less than one per cent of recycled textiles are converted into new, wearable materials. But very gradually, that may be changing.
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How much longer can King Dollar reign?
The US dollar is a symbol of American strength. But America’s share of global economic power is waning, and many countries resent the dollar’s dominance as a reserve currency.
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Trade wars: the impact
A full-blown trade war between the US and China could mean global GDP decelerates by more than 100 basis points, and major global equity indices tumble by more than 20 percent.
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Who now can lead the world?
A world order of peaceful co-operation feels like a distant dream. Democracy and global capitalism are increasingly under threat and nativist sentiment is spreading.
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Will regulatory reform become a China investor's biggest opportunity?
Regulatory reforms are set to revolutionise China’s Financial Services industry, opening up numerous opportunities for international investors.
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India’s demographic dichotomy
On paper, India is a demographic diamond in the rough. In the next decade, the ratio of its population at working age is set to surpass China’s.
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Why is Switzerland so keen on cryptocurrencies?
Switzerland has long been a global economic hub. Now it’s embracing the potential of cryptocurrencies and digital tokens. Last year, four of the biggest initial coin offerings - when start-ups sell tokens to investors – were based in Switzerland.
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Will asset prices fall as QE unwinds?
Following the financial crisis, central banks bought trillions of dollars worth of financial assets – mostly bonds - to pump up their economies.
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Death of the ATM?
The rise of cryptocurrencies, contactless cards and mobile payments has led to predictions that we are at the dawn of a cashless society.
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Central banks’ cryptocurrency quandary
Some of the world’s most important central bankers are leaving their posts, and their successors will have to deal with fast-growing technological innovations such as cryptocurrencies.
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Monetising China's eSports boom
Global eSports revenues are predicted to hit $1.5bn by 2020. Fans are young, passionate, and given they’re 38% female, a marketer’s dream. In 2017, the finals of 'League of Legends’, owned by China’s Tencent, had a total of 1.2 billion views.
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The critical role diversity plays in economic growth
With consumption rising, the only way humanity can maintain or improve its standard of living is to do more with less. That requires innovation and productivity. Diversity is absolutely essential for this.
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Nasdaq looks beyond stocks and bonds
Nasdaq’s technology pairs buyers and sellers of financial assets at lightning speed. Now it is exploring ways to enable trade beyond its traditional markets - from ticket sales to container space.
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Capital expenditure is on the up: what it means for innovation and growth
In the US and Asia, capex has been driving improvements in corporate performance. Now, after 6 sluggish years, a positive trend has emerged in Europe as well.
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Will the renminbi ever really be a reserve currency?
Just over a year ago the renminbi passed a significant milestone when the IMF included it in its Special Drawing Rights currency basket, along with the dollar, pound, euro and yen.
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The geopolitics of trade: who is winning?
These are uncertain times for global trade, and not just because of Donald Trump’s protectionist rhetoric.
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Asia’s innovation boom: where it’s happening and why it matters
Asia's R&D spend is on track to exceed Europe and the US combined by 2020. But which countries are innovating, what are the implications and are investors pricing in the potential?
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Relearning the rules of Adam Smith
Many of the core ideas behind Adam Smith’s vision of capitalism are being ignored.
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The boom in digital trade: how data are replacing physical goods
By 2025, cross-border data flows could be worth $20tn, more than current global trade in goods.
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How US businesses lost faith in globalisation
For the past three decades western multinationals have been outsourcing production to low-cost countries such as China.
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Unwinding QE in the eurozone: who stands to lose?
The ECB’s quantitative easing programme is still expanding and has now reached more than €2tn.
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The fall of King Dollar
2017 promised to be a strong year for the US economy, driven by the Trump trade. But things have gone off the boil and the dollar has remained weak.
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The great QE unwind
Since the global financial crisis, major central banks have printed money and bought assets worth $12tn. But can we now return monetary policy to something like normal?
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Where Does Cash Matter Most? Demonetisation shakes the sub-continent
More and more governments are aiming to phase out cash, ostensibly to curb tax avoidance and criminal activity, while some countries are making leaps and bounds towards a cashless future without a backwards glance.
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Financial centres after Brexit: a bonanza for Europe?
As the process of Brexit continues, the UK’s neighbours are eyeing up the business they can take from London, and the City’s banking sector is the real prize.
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Knowledge is the New Capital: why companies keep making one simple and costly mistake
What if the traditional approach of treating labour as a cost, rather than an asset, was turned on its head?
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China’s corporate debt addiction: bond defaults spell trouble
Unprecedented bond defaults have economists worried about the levels of Chinese debt.
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