Of Interest
you are currently viewing:'Frontier Market' Economies Haven't Lived Up to Potential Since 2010January 20, 2026--Investment growth has halved, more than in other low- and middle-income economies
On average, investment growth per person in the 2020s so far has been less than half the rate in the 2010s. Yet the experience of the top performers among frontier markets reveals lessons for the 56 economies currently in the cluster. For global investors looking for opportunities beyond high-income economies, frontier markets constitute the middle of the range: they are generally less tightly integrated into global financial markets than emerging markets but more so than other developing economies that belong to neither the "emerging" nor the "frontier" classes. Source: worldbank.org |
Energy Charted: The Energy Mix of the World's 10 Largest Economies
March 13, 2026-Key Takeaways
Oil is the largest energy source in six of the world's 10 biggest economies, including the U.S., Germany, Japan, the UK, and Italy.
Coal dominates energy supply in China and India, accounting for nearly 60% of their energy mixes.
ICYMI: Report Shows 'Annoyance Economy' Rips Off Consumers for $165 Billion Annually
March 4, 2026--Spam and robocalls cost Americans over $32 billion annually, junk fees cost consumers $90 billion annually, and health care headaches cost $41 billion.
Groundwork Collaborative recently published Taking on the Annoyance Economy, which totals the cost of the Annoyance Economy at $165 billion in wasted time and effort.
Ranked: The World's Richest Countries vs. the Happiest Countries
February 27, 2026--Several Nordic countries rank among both the richest and happiest in the world.
Some ultra-wealthy nations, including Singapore and Qatar, do not make the top 20 for happiness.
Only a handful of countries appear near the top of both rankings.
WFE Accessing Transition Finance-A Practical Guide for Issuers
February 26, 2026--Transition finance that enables the economy and finance to move towards Net Zero and other sustainability-related goals is a significant opportunity for businesses and investors.
Global climate finance, which supports activities that are already green, reached $1.9 tr in 2023 and is estimated to have exceeded $2 tr in 2024.
Rewiring global value chains in a changing global environment
February 25, 2026--Global value chains are the backbone of the world economy,even at a time when they are undergoing structural and policy-driven changes in the face of a rapidly changing global environment.
Over the past two decades,international production networks have been tested in various ways - by the COVID-19 pandemic, by intensifying geopolitical frictions,by financial shocks and by accelerating climate challenges.
Women's Economic-Opportunity Laws Only Half-Enforced Globally
February 24, 2026--Only 4% of women worldwide live in economies that provide nearly full legal equality
Laws designed to ensure equal economic opportunities for women are only half-enforced on average across the world, indicating that the barriers that keep women from contributing fully to growth and prosperity are far steeper than previously thought, according to a new report from the World Bank Group.
Ranked: The World's 50 Largest Economies, Including U.S. States
February 20, 2026--19 U.S. states rank among the world's 50 largest economies in 2025.
California ($4.30T) is now the world's 4th-largest economy, ahead of Japan and India.
Texas ($2.94T) is larger than Italy and Russia; Florida's economy is bigger than Australia's.
Technology will take our jobs? We've heard that one before
February 19, 2026-Professions threatened by technology have proven surprisingly resilient throughout history.
That's worth recognizing as artificial intelligence assumes more tasks, though this particular story won't necessarily end well for everyone.
Ramon Novarro was very good at one thing. Or so it seemed.
Charted: The Growth of $100 by Asset Class (1965-2025)
February 19, 2026-Key Takeaways
Stocks had the best returns, turning $100 into $43k-roughly 29x the return of cash and about 5x that of gold.
Real estate and government bonds beat cash, by a factor of 1.4x and 1.9x respectively.
How Do Interest Rates Impact the Real Estate Market?
February 14, 2026--Real estate performance has historically strengthened during periods of falling interest rates.
Lower rates reduce financing costs and improve real estate valuations, supporting returns.
With rate cuts expected into mid 2026, real estate could benefit from a renewed tailwind.
