Archive for September 2020

Whilst a virus-induced global recession has damaged even the strongest of economies, Lebanon’s case stands out amongst them all. The Lebanese pound has lost more than 60 percent of its value over the past year, and national debt currently accounts for nearly 170 percent of GDP. Moreover, an explosion last month in the port of…

Over the last 40 years, after the establishment of socialism with Chinese characteristics and China’s subsequent financial revolution, business logic has surmounted strategic and political rivalry between the White House and Beijing. So long as demand expanded abroad, China would continue to supply, rapidly developing its Special Economic Zones to transform the mainland and lift…

MEMX (Members exchange), an equities exchange founded to better serve the needs of the investing public, is every economist’s dream because of the prospect of reducing the existing monopoly power in the US stock exchange market. The new exchange, backed by the likes of Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs and Blackrock, was meant to launch on…

Nikola Corporation, a “pre-revenue” firm which plans to produce zero-emission commercial and pickup trucks, is valued as the 20th biggest automotive firm worldwide with a market capitalisation of 15 billion USD. Nikola’s large valuation places the firm above established names such as Nissan and Renault, despite founder and now former chairman, Trevor Milton, predicting that…

Palantir has been at the forefront of software development for almost two decades now, with a substantial focus on big data analytics. Its revolutionary algorithm has made it one of the most sought-after security services in the world, with clients including the US Government and Morgan Stanley. Recently, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic,…

On 21st August 2020, Turkish President Erdogan announced the discovery of 320 billion cubic metres (bcm) of natural gas in the Black Sea, the largest such discovery in Turkish history. Shortly after the discovery, the president’s son in law, Finance Minister Albayrak, declared that this gas store would enable Turkey to eventually eliminate its current…

At the beginning of 2020, the average house price in London was 476,588 GBP, compared to the UK average of 231,185 GBP. Renting is also expensive, with the average London rent costing nearly 50% of the average local salary, further hindering first time buyers or those who wish to save for a house. Although these…

Since listing 10 years ago, Tesla experienced its worst trading day on Tuesday, 8th September – with shares down 21% to close at 330.21 USD. The business witnessed a decline in market capitalisation of more than 80 billion USD; the remaining 310 billion USD, however, still leaves Tesla as the world’s most valuable automaker. On…

The calendar year of 2020 has seen the UK, along with many other nations, experience the deepest recession in its history as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, despite this, August saw UK house prices reach record highs with properties being taken off the market at rates not experienced since the financial crash in…

When Shinzo Abe assumed office in December 2012, Japan’s economy was still suffering from the bursting of the Japanese asset price bubble in 1991. Since then, the country has experienced years of intermittent deflation, minimal growth and increasing debt in what became known as ‘Japan’s Lost Decade’. Japan’s gross domestic product (GDP) grew only 1.14%…