Korn Ferry: What Are Your Revenues Next Month? $1 Million? $1,000?

By SIMON CONSTABLE

Usually, when businesses decide the volume of products that they want to produce, they have a slew of data to study. Last month’s sales, seasonality, the buying patterns of big customers, even changes in government regulations can be useful guides.

But such things don’t seem very relevant now and likely still won't be when the economies of the world get back to business as the coronavirus pandemic fades. "No one knows how the demand will be restarted or the supply," says Yannick Binvel, president of Korn Ferry's Global Industrial Market practice. Read more here.

John Batchelor Show: Scotland remains in lockdown

By SIMON CONSTABLE

Forbes: The Real Reason Oil Futures Plunged On Monday Isn’t What You Think

By SIMON CONSTABLE

Ouch! On the face of it, things look bad for the oil market. 

That’s an easy conclusion to make from the epic dive crude oil futures prices took on Monday. But the bigger story is far more complicated than most would like to admit.

Most of the issue revolves around oil delivery rules and storage capacity issues specific to a single location in Oklahoma. Read more here.

Forbes: 4 Reasons To Bet On An Oil Rally

By SIMON CONSTABLE

Finally, some good news for the oil patch.

The price of oil should rally at least 37% this year following a weekend agreement by the members of OPEC (the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) and some recently affiliated nations, experts say. Read more here.

Korn Ferry: The Crisis as a Tipping Point for 3D Printing

By SIMON CONSTABLE

3D printing started out as a novelty invention and grew to become a small but fast-growing part of the manufacturing world. Now, COVID-19 has given a whole new meaning to the value of this technology in today’s gridlocked world of supply chains. 

Used for creating everything from oil rig replacement parts to artificial skin for a cosmetics maker, the technology could be an important answer to companies that outsourced heavily and now find themselves helpless. The technique, of course, employs computer codes to allow for the production of items via local machines, eliminating the need for a far-flung manufacturer. Read more here.

Photo by Tom Claes on Unsplash

John Batchelor Show: Edinburgh quiet but glorious in springtime of the virus

By SIMON CONSTABLE

Forbes: COVID-19 Panic Sparks Record-Breaking Gold Buying Binge During First Quarter

By SIMON CONSTABLE 

The COVID-19 pandemic has made investors go crazy for gold so far this year. 

In the first quarter, they snapped up a record-breaking $23 billion of exchange-traded funds that hold the metal, according to a recent report from the World Gold Council. These investments include the grand-daddy of all bullion ETFs, the SPDR Gold Shares (GLD). Read more here.