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Spain's technology deficit could reach €21.078 billion

In the World, World economy 23rd January 2021

Regulating the Fast-Changing Fintech Landscape

Sonia Katyal | Countries around the world, including India, are sponsoring initiatives like innovation hubs to stay on top of and engender tech-driven progress on desirable lines. That should ultimately lead to enriching financial lives across the world and perhaps even open the gates for poverty reduction strategies that were hitherto not imaginable. Such is the promise of the financial revolution that lies ahead if the regulatory waters are navigated well.

biden inauguration

World politics 21st January 2021

Joe Biden Sends A Clear Message To The Watching World – America’s Back

Scott Lucas via The Conversation | As aspiration, the speech was pitch perfect. Biden rightly took on the present of America’s most serious domestic crisis since the Civil War. Coronavirus, the Capitol attack, economic loss, immigration, climate change and social injustice were confronted. But what distinguished the speech beyond the essential was the sincerity with which it was delivered. Since the election, there has been a commingling of Biden’s personal narrative of loss with the damage that America has suffered.

coronavirus china

In the World, World economy 21st January 2021

China Has A Buffer For Contingencies

Intermoney | China surpassed its economic growth previous to the health crisis. Specifically it recorded 6.5% per year in Q4’20, when in the same period in 2019 it grew by 6%. Thus guaranteeing China’s rapid recovery, while also highlighting the country’s margin for facing up to any temporary turbulence linked to the resurgence of COVID-19. Furthermore, China would encourage the population to continue working to limit the number of people returning to their places of origin during the New Year celebrations.

china industry

World economy 20th January 2021

China: 2021 GDP Growth To Bounce Back To 7.5%.

Jinyoue Dong & Betty Huang (BBVA Research) | Vaccination, accommodative monetary policy with “no sharp turnaround”, possible alleviation of China-US tension under Biden’s presidency and deflationary environment give Chinese authorities a chance for a short respite in 2021.

LatinAmerica Covid19

In the World, World economy 19th January 2021

Latin America: Heavy Dependence On Informal Labour And Tourism Exacerbates The Covid-19 Shock

Crédito y Caución (Atradius) | Of all emerging market regions, Latin America and the Caribbean (Latam) has been most affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, both in terms of infection and death rates, and regarding the impact on its economy. The outlook is highly uncertain and weighted down by growing fears of a new wave of infections. Rising prospects of multiple Covid-19 vaccines are definitively hopeful. However, the vaccine rollout is expected to move more slowly in the Latam region compared to advanced markets due to smaller vaccine orders so far relative to population and more logistical challenges. Therefore the economic benefits from the vaccine are expected to manifest first through the improving external environment as rollout across advanced markets boosts trade, commodity prices and external financing flows.
bitcoin bullish

World economy 18th January 2021

Bitcoin: Why The price Has Exploded – And Where It Goes From Here

Andrew Urquhart via The Conversation | Bitcoin achieved a remarkable rise in 2020 in spite of many things that would normally make investors wary. From a year-low on the daily charts of US$4,748 (£3,490) in the middle of March as pandemic fears took hold, bitcoin rose to just below US$30,000 by the end of the year. There are plenty of very bullish forecasts for the bitcoin price in 2021. Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss, the founders of leading crypto exchange Gemini, believe bitcoin will eventually hit US$500,000 per coin, while a Citigroup analyst suggests a price of US$318,000 by December 2021. 

Biden wins celebrations

In the World, World economy 15th January 2021

Biden Announces Stimulus Plans Worth $1,9 Bn, While Powell Clears Up Doubts Over QE

Monex Europe | The dollar has been regaining ground since yesterday amid concerns that President-elect Joe Biden’s $1.9tn stimulus plan may fail to win broad-based support, as Republican opposition is possible over the big-ticket spending. These concerns are reinforced by the voting procedure in the Senate: fiscal stimulus requires 3/5ths of the votes (60 votes) in order to pass. Among the elements in the proposal are direct payments of $1,400, on top of the $600 approved in December, $350bn for state and local governments, $160bn in vaccination funding, $130bn to help schools reopen, and additional employment benefits.

Pelosi

In the World, World politics 14th January 2021

Who Is Nancy Pelosi Enabling?

Peter Isackson | Most analysts focused on the rioters themselves and the link with President Donald Trump, who commanded the crowd to gather at the Capitol and prepare for a fight. Pelosi peered further into the evil plot, demonstrating an investigative acuity worthy of Sherlock Holmes. Not only did she connect the threads dangling for the past four years inside the brains of prominent Democrats, her far-sighted global perspicacity bore its most compelling fruit when she identified the Moriarty of the tale, the hidden ringleader no one in Washington or the media dared mention, but only she could suspect: Vladimir Putin.

china lantern

In the World, World economy 14th January 2021

Chinese Economy, Priorities For 2021

Morgan Stanley | With growth already at pre-Covid levels, China has announced its priorities: a gradual exit from stimulus, internalisation of the yuan and reduction of carbon emissions. These are  some of our predictions: Foreign Exchange reserves of $3,190 bn (vs $ 3,178 bn in November 2020; Headline inflation from -0.5% to 0% and a credit growth down 0.1% to 13.6%. Furthermore, we estimate that the deficit will fall to 12% of GDP, after reaching a record high of 15.4% in 2020. But still above 9.9% in 2019.