Cobalt, that versatile ferromagnetic metal, has experienced its own evolution; no longer used just to provide blue colour for glass and ceramics, it is today highly valued as a necessary ingredient for making those prized electric-car and smartphone batteries tick. Cobalt has seen its price rise and fall over recent years, but the current trend is in an upward direction as demand outpaces supply.
Brokerage
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Investing has become more complicated over the last few years, and investment managers are stepping up to the plate. It’s not all about the money any more but also about the climate, human rights and diversity. ESG investing is consuming an ever larger share of the investment marketplace as today’s investors grapple with environmental, social and corporate-governance considerations alongside their goals of maximizing monetary returns.
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During 2017, a few fortunate investors have made a lot of money very quickly on their investment in crypto-currencies, an asset class that did not exist just eight short years ago. But as with other rapidly evolving assets, that often seem too good to be true, the potential soaring profits of crypto-currencies are offset by the risks of crushing losses. “Investor beware” is the name of the crypto game!
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Simply mentioning the topic of artificial intelligence in finance usually elicits a mix of excitement (“AI is amazing and can solve every problem”) and fear (“Will we all lose our jobs? Will robots cause the next market crash?”).
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China’s shadow-banking participants, often shady non-bank credit intermediaries, are slowly coming to heel as the government ramps up its efforts to curb leverage in the sector. Once accounting for 87 percent of GDP, the growth of shadow banking’s assets were outstripped by the country’s overall GDP growth during 2017, indicating that China’s financial dragon may finally have been subdued by regulators.
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Next year, investment firms in the European Union will be confronted by a new prudential regime, courtesy of the European Commission, that is so sweeping, it could cause some to rethink what client activities they engage in. Now is the time, for smaller firms, to take a close look at their operations under the light of the regulations and begin to prepare.
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Russia’s economy suffered some major setbacks in recent years, especially as a result of low oil prices, slow growth and sanctions. The country’s equity-market performance slumped in response to the unfavourable macroeconomic and political conditions, but in 2017 it turned upbeat as investors flocked back to take advantage of emerging opportunities, creating an environment conducive to further business growth and prosperity for 2018.
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On 12 June 2017, a blockchain-based company called Bancor raised approximately $153 million in ether (the coin of the cryptocurrency Ethereum) in just less than three hours by way of an initial coin offering (ICO).
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While 2018 may still be in its infancy, the risks hanging over the year’s foreign-exchange (forex) markets have been brewing for some time. An assortment of global hotspots are positioned to affect major currencies and their viability on forex markets.