By SIMON CONSTABLE
Exchange-traded-fund investors who want to bet on the fast-growing videogaming industry now have more ways to do it than ever before.
In recent years, fund firms have launched several new ETFs focused on videogames and esports, a form of competitive videogaming that spectators watch like a sporting event. Still, while all of the products are to capitalize on the same trend, they don’t mirror each other in terms of holdings or costs. Read more here.
By SIMON CONSTABLE
Sometimes it seems the language Wall Street uses to describe the market changes almost as much as the market itself. That can make reading research reports confusing.
For instance, a recent report from New-York-based Wolfe Research focused on two different types of stocks: “nongrowth” and “bond surrogates.” These terms may be unfamiliar to some. Read more here.
By SIMON CONSTABLE
It was fairly anticlimactic, the United Kingdom’s big departure from the European Union last week. But corporate leaders are discovering they have two issues to jump on—including one surprise.
An immediate issue for leaders is to figure out how to fill a potentially significant shortage of skilled workers. Before last week, most EU residents had an automatic right to work in England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. For instance, if an office in Manchester needed a computer programmer, it could hire someone from Barcelona without much paperwork or cost. Now, companies will need to lobby for work visas if they want to hire someone from overseas. Read more here.
By SIMON CONSTABLE
The coronavirus, which is wreaking havoc in China, could slash another 10% or more off the value of stocks, history shows. Before the crisis is over, investor losses could be far worse. Read more here.
By SIMON CONSTABLE
It hasn’t taken long for the four-day workweek to go from a quirky idea to one that’s getting serious consideration from more corporations and national leaders globally.
The latest development: the discovery that Finland’s new 34-year-old prime minister had, before she took her current role, advocated for trimming a day off the workweek. That quickly led to speculation that Finland’s government would soon mandate the change. It won’t, says Johan Blomqvist, Korn Ferry’s general manager for Finland, but the idea of working full-time across four days rather than five has started a debate about work-related reforms in the country. “It is sparking some support,” says Blomqvist. Read more here.
By SIMON CONSTABLE
Have bankers no shame?
In Britain, at least, it appears not. Eventually, that could hurt the entire industry.
Starting in April, the big banks want to charge overdraft borrowers a staggering 40% a year in interest. That means for every £1,000 ($1,300) they borrow, they must pay £400 in interest each year. Overdrafts are unsecured loans made typically for short periods of time in much the same way as credit card loans. Read more here.
