Thematic Research

Something we’re often asked is which era in history is most like this one. Perhaps the obvious answer is the 1970s, given the energy shock and high inflation. Others have pointed to the late-90s and early-2000s, when the dot com bubble burst and big tech valuations fell substantially. Or maybe it’s more like the 1960s, another era where policymakers moved to fine-tune
economies amidst low unemployment, but which saw inflation get increasingly out of control. [more]

Identifying the big themes driving markets and economies is one thing, but more critical is to incorporate their impact into investment and corporate decisions. Luke Templeman, Thematic Research Analyst, provides a one-page summary of the 16 global themes he believes most cross corporates, economies, and markets. [more]

The probability of a significantly negative outcome on the debt ceiling is elevated relative to recent years. The legislative avenues to resolve the debt ceiling are more limited and the political dynamics more contentious. [more]

People often ask me how we choose our themes of the year ahead. It is not a hard science, but there is a framework we use. It starts by asking the following question: “What policies and developments in the economic, business, and political world are unsustainable, and what will it take for them to become sustainable?”. [more]

Overall, was COP27 a success or failure? The answer likely depends on your expectations going into the conference. The event took place against a difficult geopolitical backdrop, rising inflation and an energy security crisis that some nations interpret as support for energy diversification strategies that align with fossil fuel growth. In a recent dbSustainability report the team discuss top 8 takeaways from COP27. [more]

Sustainability regulation, climate change, investor expectations, and consumer preferences have enhanced ESG related risks and opportunities. As a result, European Banks are putting significant resources towards environmental, social and governance objectives. [more]

The next iteration of UNFCC’s Conference of Parties, COP 27 is taking place in Egypt. As part of the Global South and home to one of world’s most diverse marine life, the location of Sharm-El-Sheikh in Egypt is quite relevant to this year’s conference. The event serves as the United Nation’s (UN) annual Climate Change summit and is intended to bring ~200 countries together to accelerate action towards goals of the Paris Agreement (2015) and limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels. [more]

Amidst the backdrop of rampant food inflation, this year’s COP27 in the Egyptian city of Sharm El-Sheikh (November 6-18) will be critical. That is because food inflation has been stronger than overall inflation. In fact, in March the US hit an inflection point when food and beverages CPI outpaced broader CPI. This is not just a US issue. The food inflation problem is a global phenomenon. [more]

While the "Space" industry emerged many decades ago, public interest significantly diminished toward the latter part of the 20th century as entrepreneurs mostly avoided the sector due to high barriers to entry, regulation, and limited deployment opportunities.

Edison Yu, lead coverage of Global Space & Aerial Mobility, believes two developments can change this and ensure space will be the next frontier for limitless growth: 1) the emergence of a new "Space Race," both between industry titans (Musk vs. Bezos) and between nations (US vs. China/Russia), has captivated audiences around the world and 2) the deployment of mega constellations (Starlink, OneWeb, Amazon Kuiper) has facilitated massive investment in infrastructure and supply chains.

Read the new report ‘The Big Rocket Shortage’ to find out more. [more]

Emerging economies face an extremely challenging environment. Rising USD and EUR yields as the Fed and ECB raise policy rates quickly to try to stabilize prices; depreciating currencies, especially against the dollar, as a consequence; slowing growth; extreme climate events and the economic consequences of the war in Ukraine in the form of a further boost to food and fuel prices. [more]