How stock market indices are built
An index is a rulebook, not a neutral snapshot. Its construction determines what its movements mean.
AuthorDemo
GEJ Demo Desk
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Explainer: what moves bond prices
Bond prices and yields move in opposite directions. Several forces drive both.
Liquidity in financial markets, explained
A liquid market lets investors trade quickly without moving prices much. That quality can change abruptly under stress.
Bank capital and why it matters
Capital is the part of a bank’s funding that can absorb losses without the bank failing. Its level shapes lending and stability.
What a company’s balance sheet reveals
The balance sheet is a snapshot of what a company owns and owes. Reading it well takes more than checking whether it balances.
Mergers and acquisitions: why companies combine
Deals promise growth and efficiency, but many struggle to deliver. The reasons are often organisational rather than financial.
How pricing power works
Pricing power is the ability to raise prices without losing much demand. It rests on differentiation and market structure.
BusinessDemo
Small businesses and access to finance
Small and medium-sized enterprises often find credit more expensive and harder to obtain than larger firms do.
Diversification: the one free lunch in investing
Holding assets that do not move in lockstep can lower a portfolio’s risk without necessarily lowering its expected return.
Active versus passive investing
Passive funds track an index at low cost; active managers try to beat it. The trade-offs go beyond fees.
Private equity explained
Private equity funds buy companies, aim to improve them and sell them on. Their model relies on leverage, governance and time.
What drives long-term returns on equities
Over long horizons, share-price returns can be broken down into a few building blocks.
Platform economics and network effects
When a service becomes more valuable as more people use it, markets can concentrate quickly.
The economics of semiconductors
Chipmaking combines huge fixed costs with rapid technological change, shaping an industry of specialised players.
TechnologyDemo
Cybersecurity as an economic risk
Cyber incidents can disrupt operations, expose data and damage trust. Firms increasingly treat them as a core business risk.
Data as an economic asset
Data fuels digital products, yet it rarely appears in national accounts or company balance sheets at its full value.
Real EstateDemo
How mortgage rates are set
Mortgage rates reflect lenders’ funding costs, risk assessments and competition — not just the central bank’s rate.
Housing affordability: the main drivers
Affordability depends on prices relative to incomes and on the cost of borrowing. Supply is often the decisive long-run factor.
REITs explained
Real estate investment trusts let investors own a share of property portfolios through the stock market.
Infrastructure investment and growth
Well-chosen infrastructure can raise an economy’s productive capacity; poorly chosen projects can waste scarce resources.
