 3G -
Mobile telephones, the 1st generation of which were introduced in the mid-1980's, have been constantly evolving since their inception. Today, over 2B mobile phones are in usage and... read more | Aging Baby Boomers -
As the Baby Boomers continue to enter retirement, the U.S. faces one of the most dramatic demographic shifts in its history. The baby boom ran from 1946 to 1960, during... read more |
Airline Travel - Southwest Airlines was one of the few US airline companies with the foresight -- and the balance sheet -- to hedge oil prices years ago.
Most commercial airline companies... read more | Aluminum Prices -
At roughly 1/3 the weight of an equivalent volume of steel, aluminum is lightweight yet strong enough for a wide range of uses. It is a good conductor of heat and... read more |
Antitrust Legislation -
US antitrust legislation or "competition law" focuses on three kinds of activity discouraging to competition: monopoly, mergers and acquisitions (M&A), and price... read more | |
Auction Rate Securities -
Auction Rate Securities are a type of long term bond which, via weekly (or monthly) "auctions", allow holders to sell off the debt to others and recoup their money at... read more | ‘One China’: Taiwan Conflict - China's most significant foreign policy goal is the control of Taiwan. This goal could embroil China and the West in a diplomatic and military... read more |
Baltic Dry Index (BDI) -
The Baltic Dry Index is a daily average of prices to ship raw materials. It represents the cost paid by an end user to have a shipping company transport raw materials... read more | Barnett Shale - The Barnett Shale is a natural gas deposit that stretches over a dozen counties in northern and eastern Texas. It is the second largest producing on-shore domestic natural gas... read more |
Beef Prices (US) -
Estimated to be worth more than $70 billion retail, the US beef industry affects a number of companies. Beef prices depends in part on the availability/pricing of cattle... read more | |
Biofuels - Corn is one potential feedstock for biofuels
Biofuel, based on fuel derived from organic biomass from recently living animals or plants or their byproducts, has transformed from a... read more | Blu-ray vs. HD DVD -
As of mid February, 2008, the battle for supremacy in high-definition DVD technology is over. Toshiba has officially surrendered to Sony in the most expensive format war... read more |
Broadband Technologies - Broadband is often called high-speed Internet, because it usually has a high rate of data transmission relative to dial-up access over a modem. In general, any... read more | Carbon Trading - Carbon emissions in action, EPA
Carbon emissions by sector and fuel type, EIA
"Warming of the climate system is unequivocal, as is now evident from the obsservations in... read more |
Cardiac Disease - In modern times, cardiac disease has emerged as the leading cause of death worldwide, particularly in developed countries. The World Health Organization reported that 16.7... read more | Cellulosic ethanol -
It’s hard to open a newspaper without finding a story about biofuels, and in particular, ethanol. Most cars in Brazil can run on 100% ethanol.
Ethanol, if blended with... read more |
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Cigarette excise taxes -
In the U.S., tobacco products and especially cigarettes are often taxed at both the federal and state levels. The aim of the tax is both to raise government funds and... read more | Clean Coal - Coal can be very dirty. When you pick up a briquette to put in your barbeque, your fingers turn black; when coal is burned in power plants and factories, the smoke released into... read more |
Clinical trials -
Clinical trials are the process by which a new drug's safety and effectiveness are tested as part of the FDA approval process. When a company discovers and develops a new... read more | Coal Power - If you are reading this article on a computer plugged into a standard wall socket in the U.S., there is a 50% chance that your computer is being powered by coal. Coal is the... read more |
Commercial Real Estate - Commercial real estate is property used solely for business purposes. Office buildings, malls, industrial parks, hotels, convenience stores, apartment complexes and gas... read more | Commodities Prices -
A commodity is a physical substance, such as food, grains, and metals, which is interchangeable with another product of the same type. Commodities are raw materials that... read more |
Commoditization of PCs - Over the last few decades, PCs have become an increasingly important part of our daily domestic and work lives. PCs are used for tasks ranging from rudimentary email... read more | Corn Prices - Corn is the most widely produced feed grain in the United States, accounting for more than 90 percent of total production. Around 80 million acres of land are planted with corn.... read more |
| Dairy Prices (US) - In the US, dairy has a farm value of production that makes it second only to beef [1]. (See Beef Prices for more on US beef production and consumption.) Despite increasing... read more |
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| Diabetes -
Diabetes is the syndrome of having excess blood sugar due to low levels of insulin or insulin resistance. Approximately 21 million individuals in the U.S. have diabetes, and this... read more |
Digital Outdoor Advertising - Digital outdoor advertising is turning old media into new media and a sluggish outdoor advertising industry into a growth industry. With digital signage becoming a... read more | E-Commerce - One of the first and most prominent e-commerce players, iconic eBay has left a huge footprint on the way we buy and sell.
The Internet has created a new economic ecosystem, the... read more |
Electric Cars - The American infatuation with the automobile, and the carbon emissions that cars produce, have been key players in the environmental crisis called "climate change." Although the... read more | |
Emerging Markets -
Emerging markets generally refer to the economic activity in industrializing regions of the world. The term is often used interchangeably with developing markets, though... read more | |
FDA regulation - The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services that is responsible for regulating food, dietary supplements,... read more1301 views | Fixed-line telecommunication -
Land-line or fixed-line telecommunication is over 125 years old and, up until the recent past, was defined as a telephone line that traveled through metal wire or... read more |
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Genetically Modified Foods -
Genetically modified foods have been altered in some way, usually for the purpose of increasing yield or efficiency. This is common in agricultural crops,... read more | Global Climate Change - Global warming could mean more freak storms like Hurricane Katrina, pictured above--bad news for insurance companies.
For thirty years now, many scientists have been... read more |
Government Regulatory Agencies -
A regulatory agency is a government department that has responsibility over the legislation (acts and regulations) for a given sector. Regulatory agencies exist... read more | Grains Prices - Grains is a blanket term describing the edible seeds or fruits of a variety of different grasses. The most commonly cultivated grains include maize (corn), wheat, rice, barley,... read more |
| Health & Wellness -
The term "health and wellness" has become a powerful tool for marketers in various industries. As people decide to change their habits and pursue healthier lifestyles,... read more |
Hurricane Season - Hurricanes are a fact of life along the gulf coast and Southeastern United States. The Atlantic hurricane season typically begins around the beginning of June and lasts until... read more | |
Hybrid and Fuel Cell Vehicles -
This article describes Hybrid / Fuel Cell technology in automobiles. For a broader discussion of fuel saving technology and alternative energy in automobiles see... read more | Immigration - US Immigrant Population by Region or Origin (000s)
The United States is the single largest economy in the world and arguably the most liberal. It is therefore not surprising... read more |
Impact of Internet Advertising - The breadth of U.S. advertisers across virtually all industries means that growth of advertising spend is highly correlated with the GDP, a measure of the... read more | Incidence of Cancer -
In modern times, cancer has emerged as a leading cause of death, particularly in developed countries. Whereas vaccines and cures have eliminated many of the diseases... read more |
Inflation -
Inflation is a measure of how much the general level of prices for goods and services is rising over time. As inflation rises, the purchasing power of every unit of currency is... read more | |
Interest Rates -
This article describes the impact of interest rates. A related concept is the Yield Curve.
An interest rate is the cost of borrowing money. Among the many industries affected... read more | IPhone - click to enlarge image
Prior to its June 29th release, Apple's iPhone had already seen the kind of media hype and expectation that other consumer products could only dream of. If the... read more |
IPod Effect - In April 2007, Apple celebrated its 100 millionth iPod sale, claiming that it was the fastest selling music player in history. Indeed, after its introduction a little over five... read more | Iraq War -
On March 20, 2003, a U.S.-led coalition invaded Iraq, setting off a conflict that has yet to be resolved. As with any military campaign, defense contractors and manufacturers of... read more |
| Lasik Surgery - Lasik surgery is a surgical procedure to correct vision.
Because laser vision correction is not covered by Medicare, Medicaid, or most private insurance plans, consumers must pay... read more |
LCD -
Liquid Crystal Displays (LCDs) are used to in flat-panel monitors and high-end flat-panel television. Recently, the market for LCDs has exploded as flat screen monitors and televisions... read more | Luxury Consumption - Demand for luxury goods can be seen as a bellweather of burgeoning economies, as wealthy population segments consume more leather goods, clothes, watches, liquor and other... read more |
| Medicare - Medicare is a government program that covers most health care costs for people 65 and older, as well as individuals undergoing dialysis treatment for kidney failure. Medicare covers... read more |
Mixed-Signal Integrated Circuit - Integrated Circuits (ICs) are generally classified as digital (i.e., microprocessors) or analog (i.e., operational amplifiers). Mixed-signal ICs are chips that... read more | |
Mobile Phone Usage in China - China: the next big mobile phone gold mine?
China's mobile telephony market can make or break manufacturers. Similarly, the enormous subscriber base of Chinese... read more | |
Mortgage REITs -
Mortgage REITs invest in the ownership of property mortgages. These REITs loan money for mortgages to real estate buyers, or purchase existing mortgages or... read more | Movie Attendance -
Going to the movies has long been a staple American pastime, but this traditional night out has come under pressure in recent years. The number of moviegoers has been... read more |
| Natural gas - Natural gas pipeline, photo courtesy of FERC
Remember when your mom used to remind you to "sniff for gas" before leaving the house? While safety was (hopefully!) her main concern... read more |
New Home Construction -
New home construction is a surprisingly complicated process that affects many different companies and industries. As such, increases or decreases in the number of new... read more | New Payment Technologies -
The once-common question "Cash or credit?" has fallen into disuse, the contemporary "Credit or debit?" stealing the title of most-asked question in checkout lines... read more |
Nuclear Energy - Nuclear energy involves a controlled reaction to split atoms of nuclear fuel, typically uranium or plutonium, creating two new atoms. When accomplished on a reasonable scale,... read more | Obesity -
Worldwide levels of obesity are rising, a trend especially pronounced in the United States. Obesity--both morbid and not--has been linked to a number of serious diseases, especially... read more |
Off-price Retail -
Off-price retailers sell clothing and accessories from major-label brands at a significant discount. These companies take advantage of overruns, canceled orders, and... read more | |
| Oil Exploration and Production - Here's a way to make millions of dollars from the oil boom with little money down (and a lesson in the economics of oil exploration).
Step 1: Start an... read more |
Oil Prices - Few inputs impact the U.S. economy as much as the price of oil. Oil powers the cars, trucks, and airplanes that transport people and products for the entire economy. As oil prices... read more | Oil refining (downstream) - Oil refinery in Alaska
From crayons to jet fuel, refined petroleum has myriad uses in the modern economy. While we've all seen images of the dark crude oil gushing... read more |
Online Video - The explosive growth of Google's YouTube and video-sharing services such as BitTorrent has led to a dramatic increase in the amount of data traversing the internet -- Google CEO... read more | Open Source -
Open source software differs from traditional commercial software because it is generally free of charge, or in some cases offered for a minimal fee. The term "open source" means... read more |
Osteoporosis -
Osteoporosis a disease characterized by decreased bone mineral density (BMD), which causes brittle bones and increases the risk of fracture. The disease affects 10 million... read more | Outsourcing to China - Investors betting on the growth of business process outsourcing to China should be focused on engineering and IT investments connected China, because these job functions... read more |
Peak Oil - “Peak oil” is a concept recognized and described by geologist Dr. M. King Hubbert (the peak in oil production curves is called Hubbert’s Peak) in 1955 that refers to the fact... read more | |
Pharmaceutical patents -
Pharmaceutical patents protect manufacturers of prescription drugs, prohibiting others from producing a drug during the length of its patent protection. The length of... read more | |
Private Equity's Impact - Private equity refers to a type of investment aimed at gaining significant, or even complete, control of a company in the hopes of earning a high return. As the name... read more | Private Label Trends - Private labels as % of 2006 sales for the top four U.S. grocery retailers
Private label describes products manufactured for sale under a specific retailer‘s brand. ... read more |
| Renewable Energy - Renewable energy refers to a subset of energy sources that are derived from constantly replenishing sources and hence, unlike nonrenewable energy, will never run out. In... read more |
Revaluing the Yuan - Many argue that the Chinese currency is overvalued relative to the U.S. dollar. The U.S. possesses several mechanisms to seek a rebalancing of this exchange rate, including... read more | Rise of China's Middle Class - Increasing prosperity among the Chinese populace is creating a new market for Western retailers who previously envisioned China solely as a supplier of goods. ... read more |
| Rock Band vs. Guitar Hero -
Whether you are a hardcore gamer or a casual player, you've probably heard of Rock Band and Guitar Hero, video games that are allowing people without musical ability... read more |
| Sex and Porn -
Sex and porn have grown from small, somewhat underground markets into increasingly mainstream industries. While most still consider sex itself to be a private act, the topic has... read more |
Social media -
Social media describes websites that allow users to share content, media, etc. Common examples are the popular social networking sites like Friendster, Facebook, MySpace, etc. ... read more | Software as a Service - Software is ubiquitous in today’s business world, where software applications can help us track shipments across multiple countries, manage large inventories, train... read more |
Solar Power - Solar energy has been used for centuries in a wide range of applications, ranging from heating to cooking to electricity generation. For investors in solar, though, the holy grail... read more | |
Subprime lending - Subprime lending is the practice of extending credit to borrowers with credit characteristics -- e.g. sub-620 FICO scores -- that disqualify them from loans at the prime rate... read more | Superconductivity - Superconductivity is a phenomenon, usually occuring at extremely low temperatures, in which some metals have zero electrical resistance and, as a result, very s |
