For decades, the United States has been the dominant global leader in technological output and diplomatic influence. With the most powerful military and the largest economy, the United States has shaped international affairs through alliance building and has long served as the model that many nations aspire to emulate. In 2025, however, social media feeds are inundated with stories about the increasingly negative outlook among younger Americans. A reported 97 percent of Gen-Z

Netflix’s agreement to acquire Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) for $83bn marks one of the most significant shifts in modern entertainment history. Not since Disney’s takeover of 21st Century Fox has Hollywood experienced a restructuring on this scale.  If approved, it will unite the world’s largest streaming platform with one of the most celebrated legacy studios, combining Netflix’s 450M+ global subscribers with the century-spanning IP portfolio, including Harry Potter, Batman,

For two decades China has powered global growth, contributing towards roughly one-third of the world's GDP expansion. That era is fading, as a combination of property weakness, aging demographics and weaker productivity is pushing China into a structurally lower growth path. The World Bank notes that potential growth is now on a “declining trend” unless deep reforms are implemented to shift the economy away from debt-fueled investment towards productivity and consumption.   W

Goldman Sachs has announced a $2 billion acquisition of Innovator Capital Management, a specialist in defined outcome exchange-traded funds (ETFs). The deal is structured as a mix of cash and stock (subject to performance targets) and is expected to close in the second quarter of 2026, which may change due to regulations and other factors. This acquisition highlights Goldman’s ambition to strengthen its position in the rapidly growing ETF market.  Marc Nachmann, Head of Asset

Netflix has agreed to purchase Warner Bros’ firm and its streaming assets, which marks one of the most dramatic turning points in the entertainment industry in decades. The value of the deal is between $72 billion and $82.7 billion, transforming Netflix from the leading streamer into a hybrid giant. For example, it combines vast libraries and major franchises such as Harry Potter and Game of Thrones. Furthermore, this acquisition marks a shift in competitive dynamics, as trad

Introduction Jane Street Capital was founded on 31 st  August 1999 and existed as a relatively small quantitative trading firm for most of its lifetime. However in recent years it has blown up to stand face to face with  the old Wall Street titans such as Morgan Stanely and Goldman Sachs, taking up over 10% of North American equity trading volume in 2024.  The firm focuses their effort on exploiting strange trading patterns and arbitrage opportunities. Around the beginning of

With the recent   failure of COP30 to bring about new pledges to cut fossil fuels , and dwindling support for the COP process altogether, climate efforts seem to be ( literally ) going up in flames, with net zero goals bleaker than ever.     Despite efforts,  fossil fuels still supply around 82% of the world’s energy , and this seems unlikely to change any time soon. Can we escape our reliance? Are we in too deep? Ramón Méndez Galain and Uruguay’s green transition seems to su

In the classic ‘ lemons problem’  in economics, when buyers cannot distinguish genuine sustainability from greenwashing, the entire market suffers. High-quality suppliers are forced to withdraw, and the market gradually becomes flooded with inferior products. Today’s ESG market faces a similar crisis. This is a market failure driven by information asymmetry, capital is misallocated, and systemic risk increases. The global markets are flooded with companies that project an ima

As governments and businesses accelerate efforts to reach net-zero emissions, a new question is emerging: who pays for the transition? The concept of a just transition i.e. a fair shift to a low-carbon economy that protects workers, industries and regions, has become central to climate policy. Yet balancing environmental goals with social stability remains one of the hardest parts of the net-zero journey.  A fair shift or a fragmented one? The idea originates from the Interna

The declining number of children who read regularly is a well-known issue.  However, has the surrounding discourse affected any change? So far, it would seem not, with low literacy rates continuing to further economic inequality, with further impacts including future costs to the NHS, lost opportunity costs for the affected individuals, and a struggle for Britain to maintain its position on the global stage.    Literacy are on a slippery slope in the UK, with reports of child

The 2025 job market is proving to be the toughest for fresh graduates in years. Indeed  claim that the rise of AI has created the worst environment for new job seekers since 2018, with graduate roles down 33% compared to the year before. The Guardian  reports that, according to new research, AI could replace as many as 3 million low-skilled workers in a decade.  However, this isn't just a simple AI problem. ChatGPT was first released in late November 2022, but data on monthly

If there’s one thing students hate almost as much as exams, it’s interviews. Whether they’re for internships, placements, or grad roles, the process feels like a mini boss fight. Interviews are one of those things everyone pretends to be fine about, but secretly hate. You sit there, quietly sweating, while a stranger asks questions like, “Tell me about a time you worked under pressure”, and suddenly every single memory you’ve ever had disappears from your brain.  So when I ha

Imagine hiking in a vast mountain range, shrouded in fog. You climb steadily, and eventually reach a hilltop that seems high and safe. From there, you can see lower valleys all around, so you assume you have reached the summit. Later, as the fog lifts, you realise taller peaks lie beyond, hidden until the fog lifts. This is exactly the problem that modern computer algorithms face, especially those used in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. Algorithms often find sol

The artificial intelligence sector has become a magnet for global investment, drawing vast sums from technology giants and financial institutions. The latest deal to fuel this activity is a multi-billion-pound agreement between Microsoft, Nvidia and Anthropic, which has reignited speculation about whether the AI industry is entering bubble territory. Whilst the scale of the investment is unprecedented, its structure is equally striking, raising questions about whether capital

Over the past decade, Bitcoin and the broader universe of digital assets have moved far beyond mere technological curiosity. They now sit at the heart of global finance. With Bitcoin’s market capitalization having surpassed silver and now jostling for a place among the world’s top ten assets, a great many investors have come to revere it (almost religiously) as “digital gold” or the ultimate expression of a decentralized future. A parallel and equally powerful belief has take

In mid-November 2025, Iran seized an oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, a move that drastically increased tensions in one of the most strategically important maritime corridors in the world.  The Strait of Hormuz exists as one of the critical chokepoints for supplies of energy throughout the world, with roughly 20% of global oil flow passing through the strait.  Whilst Iranian authorities defended the move as a matter of national security, financial markets reacted immediate

The Chancellor's upcoming 26 November Budget comes at a moment of unusual economic fragility. Who is behind this story? Well it's Rachel Reeves, the Office for Budget Responsibility, businesses, consumers and economists such as former Bank of England chief economist Andy Haldane.  What we are seeing is a sharp slowdown in UK growth, with GDP only expanding 0.1% in the third quarter. When this occurred, matters as it came just weeks before the Budget, heightening the political

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has ramped up intensity within the technological industry. The race to dominate has intensified with cloud giants and semiconductor firms accelerating acquisitions to secure a competitive advantage.  Microsoft’s AI acquisitions to strengthen their Azure AI, Amazon Web Services’ investments into AI chip farms, Google’s $32 billion Wiz Acquisition and Intel’s acquisition of AI hardware startups all illustrate the urgency. Nvidia’s latest earnings ha

US healthcare giant Abbott Laboratories has agreed to acquire cancer diagnostics specialist Exact Sciences in a landmark $23 billion deal, marking its largest takeover since 2017 and signaling a decisive push into the fast-growing cancer screening market. The transaction, which was unanimously approved by both companies’ boards, gives Abbott full ownership of Exact Sciences for $105 per share. This represents a roughly 50% premium to the company’s unaffected price.  The deal

Addiction is a profitable business. Sugar, alcohol, drugs – we can’t pretend these (and many other addictive goods) don’t move substantial amounts of money. In fact, the alcohol, tobacco, and junk-food industries make around £53 billion every year from harmful consumption. Needless to say, addiction sells, whether we like it or not.  Despite countless initiatives to reduce the consumption of addictive goods, the demand for these remains constant. And as any introductory econo