Archive for November 2020
Boris Johnson Pledges Points to Hydrogen in the Structuring of Britain’s Green Future
On Tuesday of last week, UK prime minister Boris Johnson announced his long anticipated 10-point plan, geared toward investing 12 billion GBP into Britain’s green economy by 2030. The plan placed heavy emphasis on hydrogen, setting a production target of 5GW of low carbon grade hydrogen for use in industry, transport, power and homes, and…
Read MoreIncreased M&A Regulation in the UK – a Protectionist Approach?
The UK Government has announced the introduction of new legislation that grants it greater powers to intervene in foreign takeover of UK firms, citing national security concerns as the driving factor behind the legislation. The decision is consistent with that of a host of other western countries in recent times, aligning takeover policy with that…
Read MoreNexi to acquire Nets for 7.8 billion EUR
The consolidation saga continues. The digital payments market is currently witnessing a substantial surge in consolidations as firms race for scale, seeking to become more competitive and keep pace with the endless technological innovations. With 2 acquisitions in just 6 weeks, Nexi is no exception to this trend. One of these is the recent announcement…
Read MoreRCEP: The consequences of the world’s largest free trade zone
The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), the largest free-trade zone in the world, is emerging in the Asia-Pacific region. On the 15th November 2020, the heads of state and government of China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand signed the agreement with ASEAN, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, which includes Thailand, Vietnam and…
Read MoreRing-fenced banks: necessary insurance or an unnecessary cost?
In the years following the 2008 financial crisis, regulation of the UK banking sector has substantially increased. One of the most prominent policies has been the mandated ring-fencing of banks, which since 2019, has placed 1.2 trillion GBP of core deposits in ring-fenced bodies (RBFs). RFBs disconnect retail banking operations from investment banking activities, thus…
Read MoreA (Coronavirus) Shot at Salvation: how the development of a COVID-19 vaccine could revolutionise Big Pharma
Drug makers have long been viewed unfavourably by the public, with the pharmaceutical industry being rated the most hated industry in the US according to a 2019 poll by Gallup, an analytics company known for public opinion polls (see Figure 1). Historically, companies have been blamed for charging extortionate prices for life-changing drugs, as well…
Read MoreIntroducing Amazon Pharmacy: a bitter pill for pharmacists.
Amazon has been one of the most innovative and disruptive companies of this century, with astonishing success in almost all areas of online retail. Originally a bookselling company, Amazon’s product portfolio is extensive and its new ambitious plan to expand into healthcare and the prescription drug market represents the largest and most prominent unchartered territory…
Read MoreCan African Nations avoid mass debt defaults?
COVID-19 has spared few countries from its effects, both in terms of health and economically. Despite African nations fairing relatively well in terms of deaths and case numbers compared to countries like of the UK, the continent has not escaped the economic difficulties induced by the pandemic. With falling commodity prices, reduced international trade and…
Read MoreVietnam: Asia’s Newest Economic Powerhouse?
Foreign investors’ attraction to Vietnam has been rising throughout 2020. The region has transformed into an attractive location for foreign companies to source products from, as well as relocate their factories to, with companies such as Apple, Hanwha, Foxconn and Nintendo being some of the biggest names to do so. Attractive government policies and the…
Read MoreA Basic Guide To Stocks: Part 1
Monopoly Have you ever played Monopoly? When I was younger, I played often enough that the complex strategic nuances of this apparently innocent family game soon became evident. To win Monopoly, you have to exploit people’s misconceptions of property value. The navy blue properties, at the end of the board cycle, are the most expensive…
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