In a survey conducted in November 2020, McKinsey & Co. found that roughly 80% of European small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) viewed their economy as “somewhat to extremely weak”. While the sentiment varied across national economies, SMEs in Italy and Spain were the least optimistic, while Germany had the most optimistic. Nearly two years later, …
Why are small businesses losing confidence in national economies? Read More »
With the rise of robo advisors, automated portfolios, and intelligent algorithms, artificial intelligence (AI) is making an effective (and intimidating) incursion into the financial sector. Tasks that would have previously fallen to hordes of analysts are increasingly being turned over to digital processes, with remarkably efficient results. And unsurprisingly, this reality is fuelling a growing …
After a minor COVID-induced drop, global energy investments rebounded to pre-pandemic levels in 2021 ($1.9 trillion) – an increase of 10% over 2020 – reports the International Energy Association (IEA). And in what will be music to the ears of policymakers and green energy advocates, much of the investment attention shifted from traditional fuel production …
Green Economy: how international investments are financing renewable energy projects Read More »
Data privacy and security are a key focus for CFOs, says a 2019 survey by management consulting firm Protiviti. The survey, which polled 817 CFOs and finance leaders worldwide, reported that 84% of respondents rated data privacy/security as their top priority overall and second-highest budget item. Those concerns have not faded with time either. In …
Security and Privacy of Data a top priority for CFOs Read More »
Climate change is an increasingly costly, and deadly, event in countries around the world. As the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) reports, the past 50 years have seen some of the deadliest and most expensive disasters ever recorded. The period from 1970 to 2019 accounted for 50% of all climate-related disasters, 45% of reported deaths, and …
After a brief COVID-induced slump, employment rates in the EU have trended upwards once more, according to Eurostat. While the EU employment rate fell to 71.7% in 2020, a drop of one percentage point compared to 2019, job markets in the region rebounded to 73.1% in 2021. In a statement accompanying the release of the …
As the World Economic Forum reports, oil prices jumped above $110 per barrel in the weeks after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Likewise, natural gas prices more than tripled between mid-February and early March in reaction to the conflict, signaling how the war is affecting energy prices globally. But in the case of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, …
How important is Russian gas in the conflict with Ukraine? Read More »
There are strong arguments that uncertainty has been the defining economic feature of the past three years. From the US-China trade war to COVID-19 and the supply chain crisis of 2021, markets have been constantly up or down with remarkably few (and generally short) periods of stability in between. 2022 has only continued that trend …
Why will the uncertainty in markets continue for a long time? Read More »
For companies still reeling from pandemic tailwinds and last year’s supply chain shocks, the Russia-Ukraine conflict couldn’t have come at a worse time. While most organizations were focused on consolidating growth gained within the past year, new concerns raised by the war have forced boardrooms back into crisis mode as they grapple with rising energy …
Globally, transportation is fingered as a major climate polluter with between 15-20% of total yearly emissions. Consequently, the sector has received significant attention in green research leading to breakthroughs in alternative fuels like hydrogen and the advance of electric vehicles. But there’s one area that hasn’t received much attention until now: the steel that goes …
Fossil-Free Steel: The New Era of vehicles that could cut global CO2 emissions by 7% Read More »
