Year: 2020

Aug
31
2020
By Gabriel Hinojosa
Stock Splits, Why?

Stock Splits, Why?

All Posts, Economy and Government
For many people, the stock market seems daunting, regardless of how much money you have or do not have. The number one concern investors have about any stock is the price. Lower priced stocks are more attractive to investors for a multitude of reasons, but there is one main reason: they can buy more shares with the same investment. Smaller share prices make it more attractive for small investors to buy shares of a stock. Companies know this truth about investing; for that reason, the most popular stocks, including Apple, Google, and Amazon, have all split multiple times in the…
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Jul
22
2020
By Maxwell Qian
Emissions Bounce Back as Economies Reopen

Emissions Bounce Back as Economies Reopen

All Posts, Sustainability
As people around the world faced forced confinements caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, global greenhouse gas emissions fell as a result.  A study led by climate scientist Corinne Le Quéré of the University of East Anglia published in the journal Nature estimated that emissions fell by 8% compared with 2019 levels.  That drop brought emissions in line with their 2006 level.  The researchers estimated that total 2020 emissions would fall by between 4 and 7% compared to last year.  However, with communities reopening around the world, carbon emissions have begun to return, ticking back up to just 5% below 2019…
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Jun
04
2020
By Maxwell Qian
European Central Bank Ramps Up Asset Purchases in Light of Pandemic

European Central Bank Ramps Up Asset Purchases in Light of Pandemic

All Posts, Economy and Government
On June 4, 2020, the European Central Bank (ECB) announced it would increase its envelope of asset purchases by €600 billion to a total of €1.35 trillion. The increased purchases will further the central bank's policy of monetary easing in order to help households and businesses deal with the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The increase comes in response to disinflation and fears of a possible deflationary spiral. The ECB plans to continue asset purchases until it believes the coronavirus crisis is over and plans to reinvest any payments from maturing assets into further purchases. European interest rates will…
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Jun
02
2020
By Maxwell Qian
Negative Interest Rates: A Novel Solution or a Novelty Item?

Negative Interest Rates: A Novel Solution or a Novelty Item?

All Posts, Economy and Government
In the wake of the economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, some in the United States, including president Donald Trump, have called on the Federal Reserve to push interest rates below zero.  Negative interest rates would be unprecedented in the US but they have become established monetary policy in Europe and Japan.  Such rates represent a logical extension of expansionary monetary policy while also breaking key economic laws.  This counterintuitive policy raises more questions than it appears to answer.  How do negative interest rates work? could we really be paid to borrow money? and most importantly, can negative interest…
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Apr
01
2020
By Joshua Power

COVID-19: A New Kind of Economic Challenge

Economy and Government
COVID-19–the highly contagious respiratory illness–has rapidly become a global pandemic, with countries closing borders, restricting domestic and international travel, closing businesses, and even enforcing national quarantines. While the top priority of every country is to treat the ill, develop a cure, and ultimately distribute a vaccine for the virus, the U.S. government is also taking action to address the economic crisis caused by the Coronavirus.  In a short period, the pandemic is already having a devastating effect on the U.S. economy. Jan Hatzius, chief economist at Goldman Sachs, has predicted an unprecedented 34% decrease in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for…
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Mar
19
2020
By Dave Ghosh

Coronavirus and the Economy: A Forced Recession?

Economy and Government
For years, many have talked about the inevitability of a recession. Throughout my time at Vanderbilt, discussions regarding how it will be difficult to find a job when we graduate always came up. In this unprecedented time, it seems as if the global economy is on the verge of collapsing. From sports’ leagues shutting down for an undetermined amount of time to the demand for gasoline falling to the Dow Jones industrial average tumbling, nothing seems to be going right economically. There are not many people, or companies, who are profiting right now. Of course, money should be the least…
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