Tax black hole

Tax Reforms Increase in VAT: Adjusting the Value Added Tax (VAT) rate could generate substantial revenue. Pension Tax Relief: Limiting pension tax relief to the basic rate of income tax could raise around £15 billion per year. Pension tax relief raid. Windfall Tax: Increasing the windfall tax on the profitsRead More →

Bank of England ex-governor

Lord Mervyn King, the former Governor of the Bank of England, has been a prominent voice in the ongoing debate about interest rates and inflation. His insights are particularly valuable given his extensive experience in central banking and economic policy King has been critical of the Bank of England’s approachRead More →

Federal Reserve

Is the U.S. economy already weaker than the headline data suggests and should the U.S. Federal Reserve already be easing? In the U.S. recent data (Friday 30th August 2024) showed the personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index, the Federal Reserve’s favored measure of inflation, ticked up 0.2% last month, asRead More →

Power hungry data centre

Major technology corporations such as Microsoft, Alphabet, and Meta are channelling billions into data centre infrastructures to bolster generative AI, which is causing a spike in energy demand. Sustainable Metal Cloud has announced that its immersion cooling technology is 28% less expensive to install compared to other liquid-based cooling methodsRead More →

AI enabled local device

Microsoft announced on Wednesday 21st August 2024 that it will release the contentious Recall AI search feature for Windows users to test starting in October Recall captures screenshots of on-screen activity, enabling users to search for previously seen information. Security experts raised immediate concerns about the potential risks of WindowsRead More →

Witches' stocks cauldron

The stock markets mix of toil and trouble is in the cauldron ready for a bear market in 2025, if not before. Why? These concerns are now all combining, and it will likely add-up to a bear market of around 25% in 2025 (this is my best guess). Remember –Read More →

AI supercomputer mainframe

A real set-back for UK AI global ambition The new Labour government has withdrawn £1.3bn in funding previously pledged by the Conservatives for technology and Artificial Intelligence (AI) initiatives. This includes £800m allocated for the development of an exascale supercomputer at Edinburgh University and an additional £500m for the AIRead More →

Unloved rally

The unloved rally: A paradox The S&P 500 and Nasdaq have been reaching all-time highs with remarkable frequency, notching nearly thirty record days in 2024, including four in the past week. Despite this stellar performance, a considerable number of investors remain hesitant. Let’s explore the reasons behind this paradox. LingeringRead More →

AI bubble about to burst?

The recent surge of interest in artificial intelligence (AI) has ignited a significant rally in technology stocks. Firms engaged in AI development, such as semiconductor producers crucial to AI technology and cloud service providers offering the necessary computing infrastructure, have experienced significant returns. The stock market is abuzz with excitement over artificialRead More →

Carbon waste

Norway has a long history of carbon management. For nearly 30 years, it has captured and reinjected carbon from gas production into seabed formations on the Norwegian continental shelf. Norway’s government wants to show the world it is possible to safely inject and store carbon waste under the seabed, sayingRead More →

Tech bubble

As tech giant Nvidia soars on hype around artificial intelligence (AI), and as global stock indexes claim record highs, debate has grown about whether the stock market has entered a ‘bubble.’ An AI bubble of boom We are reminded of the dotcom bubble where investment was rife in anything tech – so, areRead More →

Water scarcity

Water scarcity is a pressing global issue and has far-reaching consequences across various industries. One sector significantly affected is semiconductor manufacturing. How does water scarcity pose a threat to the production of essential microchips. Water in Semiconductor Manufacturing Ultra-pure water is a critical resource in semiconductor fabrication plants (fabs). It is usedRead More →

Alien investing

AI ‘trading bots’ are software programs that use artificial intelligence (AI) to analyse market data, generate trading signals, and execute trades automatically. ‘I meant Artificial Intelligence Investing not ‘Alien’ Investing (AI)’ AI trading bots are becoming more popular among investors who want to take advantage of the speed, accuracy, andRead More →

Debt

A Downgrade Amidst Economic Slowdown In a significant development that has raised concerns among investors and policymakers worldwide, China’s debt outlook has been downgraded as the country grapples with a slowing economy. This move reflects growing apprehensions about the sustainability of China’s economic growth and its ability to manage itsRead More →