Finance and Business Insight

By Claire Chen iStock Photo by Andrii Yalanskyi (2019) Vanderbilt’s latest Greek-life controversy saw the suspension of Sigma Chi due to “accountability issues.” Though this explanation provides little insight into the fraternity’s inner workings, to say nothing of the timeline for potential reintegration into campus life, the consequences of the suspension are clear: for the time being, Sigma Chi will no longer have the privileges of a Vanderbilt student organization. These range from dull logistical details such as branding and room-renting in addition to the existentially significant matter of financial estrangement, and Sigma Chi can no longer look forward to “[f]inancial support from the University” and the “[o]pportunity to solicit funds from, or make sales to, members of ...

By Brian Zhao (Image: creative common license) Most of us remember Bitcoin’s crazy upsurge in 2017, when its price jumped by over 2,000 percent, going from about $1,000 at the start of the year to nearly $20,000 by December. This dramatic shift, along with many success stories of ordinary people becoming millionaires overnight, has generated immense interest in the digital currency. Cryptocurrencies have remained in the spotlight since 2017, and much discussion has centered on what the relatively new form of monetary transactions could mean for the future.  Although around 4 percent of the world’s population, which is about 300 million people, currently use cryptocurrencies in some shape or form, many are unfamiliar with the technology that is the foundation for cryptocu...

By Claire Chen The universal status of Chinese food is perhaps the most iconic symbol of Chinese diasporic success. Even three years and five hundred miles out of the house, I can still find the dishes of my childhood when I walk down the streets of Nashville. No doubt you’ve ventured to these same businesses as well to chase that late-night fried rice craving that only Chinese takeout can fix. But the public-facing businesses catering to the American palate are just the surface of community innovation. The fried rice you trust is made by workers with W-2s in a kitchen with regular inspections. For those with the right social credentials – thanks Mom – trust does not need to be created by regulatory action. I’ve seen thriving unregulated businesses ranging from WeChat groups dis...

By: Shane Mumma Editor’s Note: Shane and Ash are good friends. The following in-person interview has been edited for clarity and length. Shane: So, hello Ash! Welcome to this interview with the Vanderbilt Business Review—we’re happy to have you here! Basically, we’ve heard that you’ve launched a bunch of businesses during your time at Vanderbilt, and we’d love to hear about them. So, if you could tell me about your current business Feather—what it is, how you got the idea, and what the timeframe for it actually being available is. Ash: Sure, great! So yeah, I’m Ash. I’m a senior here at Vanderbilt and I’m the Co-Founder and CEO at Feather. And at Feather, we’re building a platform that allows retail traders to discover, analyze, and identify the world’s best investments with ...

By Edward Ding (Featured image: creative common license) It would be an understatement to say that corporate debt is important. From Coca-Cola toTwitter, corporations are frequent borrowers that use bonds and loans to fund a wide range of difference business activities. Much of this debt financing occurs on the public markets, where investors supply capital in exchange for portions of debt. Leveraged finance, which refers to corporate debt rated at below investment grade (i.e., high-yield debt, “junk bonds”), constitutes a relatively riskier but still vital portion of these markets. By looking deeper into the present state of leveraged finance, we can gain some important insights into the financial landscape and markets as a whole. 2021 was an outstanding year for capita...