Markets & Industries
Global FDI volume surges in 2021 - 01/20/2022
According to a report released by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), global foreign direct investment increased by 77 percent from 2020 to about $1.65 trillion in 2021, surpassing pre-pandemic levels. "Global foreign direct investment (FDI) flows rose 77 percent to about $1.65 trillion in 2021, up from $929 billion in 2020, surpassing their pre-pandemic COVID-19...
EIA forecasts oil production growth in major US oil and gas areas - 01/19/2022
Oil production in the main US oil and gas producing areas, a large part of which is shale oil, will rise by 104,000 barrels per day, or 1.2%, to 8.54 million barrels in February compared with the current month, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) of the country's Energy Department forecasts. This includes production in the Permian Basin to increase by 80,000 barrels to 5.076 million...
De Beers raises prices for diamonds amid strong demand - 01/18/2022
International diamond corporation De Beers has markedly increased prices for diamonds due to strong demand, with small stones seeing the biggest increases, sources familiar with the situation told Bloomberg. Consumer demand for diamond jewelry showed a marked increase last year while supplies were limited, the agency noted. De Beers was raising diamond prices for much of 2021, and while at that...
WEF experts forcast global economic collapse due to new COVID strains - 01/17/2022
Analysts at the World Economic Forum (WEF) believe that the impact of the coronavirus pandemic and the emergence of new strains could literally bring about a collapse in the global economy. Over than 12 000 respondents from 124 countries participated in the survey. As a result, they highlighted problems to be expected in the short term. All of them are related to the consequences of the...
Global computer sales hit 10-years record in 2021 - 01/14/2022
Global PC sales in 2021 were at their highest in almost 10 years. Lenovo, Dell, HP, Asus, Apple and Acer led the PC market. PC sales have been declining since 2012, reaching a low point in 2017. The need for them has increased again due to the shift towards remote work and study. Personal computer (PC) sales hit a peak in nearly 10 years and have risen to 2012 levels, CNBC writes, citing data...
London overtakes European cities in local start-up investment - 01/14/2022
Tech startups from London attracted $25.5 billion in 2021, more than doubling their 2020 results. The UK capital surpassed all European cities in this indicator and in the world was second only to the US cities of San Francisco, New York and Boston. Experts attribute London's success to cooperation between lawmakers and the technology sector, as well as the city's accumulated talent pool. Venture...
BCG: Green public procurement could reduce global greenhouse gas emissions by 15% - 01/13/2022
Switching to green public procurement methods could cut global greenhouse gas emissions by 15 per cent, according to analysts at the World Economic Forum and consultancy firm BCG. "Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with government procurement account for 15 per cent of global emissions, seven times more than those from the aviation industry... A green public procurement approach could...
BCG: 60% of oil and gas investors feel pressure over green agenda - 01/12/2022
Almost 60% of oil and gas investors worldwide believe they are under pressure from clients to make their investment portfolios greener, according to a survey by international consultancy The Boston Consulting Group (BCG). "Almost 60% admitted to being pressured by clients to divest from fossil fuel investments," according to conclusions of BCG's 2021 Energy Impact Center (CEI) study, in which the...
Cryptocurrency miners may wind down operations in Kazakhstan - 01/10/2022
After the internet shutdown in Kazakhstan and the adoption of laws against cryptocurrency mining, an exodus of miners from the country could begin. Cryptocurrency miners who migrated to Kazakhstan after a ban on mining in China may shut down their operations in the country after protests blocked the Internet and, consequently, up to 15 percent of the global Bitcoin network, CNBC reported. The...
US start-ups attract record investment in 2021 - 01/07/2022
US startups attracted a record $330bn in investment last year, nearly doubling the 2020 result. But venture capital market participants are already calling the surge unsustainable. Private equity firms in the United States raised a total of $329.8 billion in venture capital funding last year, nearly doubling the amount raised in 2020, the Financial Times said, citing PitchBook data. Venture...