• Loading stock data...
Finance Featured News World

Who supplies and demands safe assets – and why it matters

Safe assets are the building blocks of modern financial markets. This column examines the sectoral dynamics of safe assets across advanced economies since the 1980s. It shows that foreign demand for these assets has steadily increased, with the financial sector playing a key role in meeting it. However, because financial institutions often back the safe […]

Banking Featured Finance World

Before banks: Historical lessons for rethinking credit

The global financial crisis of 2008 has led economists, historians, and policymakers alike to re-examine the foundations of our financial infrastructure. This column revisits the world of credit before the rise of modern banking to draw insights for contemporary reform. Drawing on historical research from early modern Europe, it reveals that communities long relied on […]

poverty Business Featured Finance

Housing and inequality: A critical link in economic disparities

Global housing markets have come under scrutiny for a number of concerns, including affordability, homelessness, and the contribution of housing to growing inequality. This column introduces a conceptual framework that integrates the consumption, capital, and locational aspects of housing to highlight how housing both reflects and drives inequality. The authors suggest numerous areas in which […]

World Featured News Technology

Tracking pay: Lessons from the ‘video’ revolution

In many of the world’s most advanced economies, hyper-globalisation and technological shocks such as AI have made many people’s lives seem less secure. But the traditional way of monitoring pay via repeated one-off surveys has limited our understanding of the volatility of earnings, and thus insecurity. This column uses newly available data from Britain’s tax […]

Productivity Featured Innovation Technology

The local effects of artificial intelligence labour investments: Evidence from the municipal bond market

The long-term effects of artificial intelligence are still unknown, as productivity benefits may be compromised by unintended costs. This column assesses the local effects of shocks to AI job postings on municipal capital markets. It finds that increases in postings are linked to declines in municipal bond yields, particularly for riskier and longer-term bonds. Furthermore, […]

Technology Business Featured World

US plans to develop AI projects on Energy Department lands

 The administration of President Donald Trump said on Thursday it has identified 16 potential sites on U.S. Department of Energy lands where data centers and power plants supporting the boom in artificial intelligence can be developed. WHY IT’S IMPORTANT Rapid growth in AI is leading to the first boom in U.S. power demand for two decades sending Big Tech and […]

Banking Business Economy Finance Innovation Investing World

Africa: Bank recapitalisation, Alawuba urges FG, CBN to incentivise banks for long-term lending

He further suggested that improved collaboration between the government and the central bank could lead to an upgrade in Nigeria’s credit rating The Managing Director/CEO of United Bank for Africa (UBA), Mr Oliver Alawuba, has called on the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Finance, and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), to incentivise long-term […]

Banking Business Economy Environment Featured Finance Investing

ADNOC listed companies to distribute over $6.7bln in total annual dividends

Shareholders voted overwhelmingly to approve the dividend proposals brought forth by each companies’ Boards of Directors ADNOC Group’s publicly traded portfolio companies collectively endorsed over $6.7 billion (AED24.6 billion) in annual dividend payments to shareholders for 2024, reflecting their strong financial health and commitment to shareholders value. At the Annual General Meetings (AGM) of all […]

Banking Business Economy Finance Innovation Investing Technology trade World

Video might kill the radio star: Digitalisation and the future of banking

New technologies are changing how banks produce and provide financial services. These changes have implications for traditional banks, creating novel sources of systemic risk which could in turn pose regulatory and policy challenges. This column introduces a new report by the Advisory Scientific Committee of the European Systemic Risk Board that discusses the impact that […]

Banking Business Finance Innovation Investing

Who supplies and demands safe assets – and why it matters

21 Apr 2025 Safe assets are the building blocks of modern financial markets. This column examines the sectoral dynamics of safe assets across advanced economies since the 1980s. It shows that foreign demand for these assets has steadily increased, with the financial sector playing a key role in meeting it. However, because financial institutions often […]