What are the business cycles and how do they affect economy and our life? Business cycles are the fluctuations in economic activity that occur over time. They are characterised by alternating periods of expansion and contraction, which affect various aspects … Continue reading What are the business cycles?
René Benko, the founder of Signa, established the company in 1999 at the age of 22. Signa has since grown to become one of the largest privately held real estate conglomerates in Austria, with a portfolio that includes commercial, residential, … Continue reading Rene Benko’s Property Empire Fall
Credit Suisse, one of the world’s largest and most prestigious banks, has been in the headlines for all the wrong reasons lately. The Swiss bank has been rocked by a series of scandals and losses that have tarnished its reputation … Continue reading Credit Suisse: A Brief History of Scandal and Collapse
How the 2008 Financial Crisis Shook the World The 2008 financial crisis was a global economic disaster that had far-reaching consequences for millions of people. It was triggered by a collapse of the US housing market, which exposed the fragility … Continue reading Financial crisis in 2008
Bias is a disproportionate weight in favour of or against an idea or thing, usually in a way that is closed-minded, prejudicial, or unfair. We typically hear about the biases in a social context, however the investing decisions as well … Continue reading Biases and behavioural finance
Commodities trading refers to the buying and selling of raw materials that are either grown (agricultural commodities) or mined (metallic and non-metallic minerals). These materials are traded on specialized markets called commodities exchanges. Some examples of commodities include metals such … Continue reading Commodities
An ETF, or exchange-traded fund, is a type of investment vehicle that holds a diverse portfolio of assets and trades on a stock exchange, similar to a stock. ETFs can hold a wide range of assets, including stocks, bonds, commodities, … Continue reading What are exchange-traded fund (ETFs)?
The asset management industry is a financial services sector that includes companies and organizations that manage investments on behalf of clients. Asset management firms offer a range of investment products and services, including various funds covering wide range of both … Continue reading What is asset management industry?
Securities lending is a financial transaction in which an investor lends out securities, such as stocks or bonds, to another party in exchange for a fee. Securities lending is typically used to facilitate various types of financial transactions, such as … Continue reading What is securities lending?
Short selling is a trading strategy that involves selling securities that the trader does not own, with the intention of buying them back at a lower price in the future. The trader borrows the securities from someone else, typically a … Continue reading Short selling (shorting)
When we speak about the financial services we can frequently come across a term ‘custodian’. This typically refers to a custodian bank, which serves a very different purpose when compared to commercial or merchant banks. The main goal of a … Continue reading Who is a custodian?
Introduction ESG stands for Environmental, Social, and Governance. It refers to a set of standards that measure the sustainability and societal impact of an investment in a company or business. Investors and financial institutions use ESG criteria to evaluate the … Continue reading ESG in finance
Global Investment Performance Standards (GIPS) are a set of standardized ethical principles for measuring and reporting the performance of investment firms. These standards were developed by the CFA Institute, a global professional association for investment professionals, and are designed to … Continue reading What is GIPS?
Learn Finance 101 