Conventional wisdom says that globalisation has stalled. Measured by trade statistics, the flows of goods and money to pay for goods are slowing down and even reversing. The Financial Times wrote today, that the value of goods and services which crossed international borders last year fell by 13,8%, in the first contraction since 2009. Much… Continue reading The Explosion of Globalisation
Category: Economics
The Global Economy since 1980 in 20 seconds
Many of my friends were born around 1980. It was the same year I entered high school and also the same year I travelled around in Europe for the first time, the brave teenager I was. Back then I had to show my passport at all borders and I got proper passport stamps. The world… Continue reading The Global Economy since 1980 in 20 seconds
The State of the Financial Industry in 2016
At present, in February 2016, financial markets the world over are increasingly chaotic. They are either retreating or plunging. The view of many observers is that there is a new gigantic market crash in the not too far future, one that has possibly started now. The main reason for expecting a market crash is simple:… Continue reading The State of the Financial Industry in 2016
The World in 2016 – According to the Economist
Seasonal holiday time, a time with few work e-mails and even less phone calls. A time to reflect, rest, catch up on writing and not the least a time for family. This year my son is visiting New York and other family members are away with different priorities, so I have plenty of time both… Continue reading The World in 2016 – According to the Economist
Chinese Investments in Africa
China continues to generate controversy with its rapidly growing investments in Africa, and the country has emerged as Africa’s largest trading partner for primarily energy and minerals. At the same time, there is a growing volume of Chinese direct investment in Africa. The ever-impressive Brookings institute published an interesting blog article on the topic earlier… Continue reading Chinese Investments in Africa
Development of Al-Alamein in Egypt
“Now this is not the end; it is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.” – Winston Churchill, November 1942 Al-Alamein is a town in northern Egypt, located on the Mediterranean Sea 106 kilometres west of Alexandria and 240 kilometres northwest of Cairo. For most of… Continue reading Development of Al-Alamein in Egypt
Big Data and the Fourth Industrial Revolution
The potential of Big Data is slowly emerging on us, as analytical methods become increasingly more powerful in making the huge amounts of data we collect in todays society meaningful for understanding reality and to make predictions. We have already covered the development in several blog posts, including Big Data is Better Data, The Challenge… Continue reading Big Data and the Fourth Industrial Revolution
Airport Hubs and Growth
Connectivity is at the heart of what makes airlines successful. Regional airlines feed to national hubs. International airlines take on and ferry travellers across continents. But how does the success of airlines relate to the success of the places where they base their hubs? The globalised economy and rapidly developing new cities (in particularly in… Continue reading Airport Hubs and Growth
Global Growth in 2016 – Cities Carrying the Weight of Nations
Growth in global trade volumes has slowed in recent years, thanks to a slow economic recovery from the financial crisis, increased use of internet based services which is not tracked in statistics, and the changing structure of the Chinese economy. Maybe also new production techniques with cheaper local production in the advanced economies can be… Continue reading Global Growth in 2016 – Cities Carrying the Weight of Nations
Emerging and Frontier Markets Investment Perspectives
Today I attended a full-day workshop in Monaco, about the current state of emerging and frontier markets. The workshop was led by Dr. Marcus Goncalves from Nichols College, and it was not about investment ideas or recommendations. Instead, it was about analysing the fundamental global macroeconomic forces and trends which enables us to better understand… Continue reading Emerging and Frontier Markets Investment Perspectives