|  3G -
Mobile telephones, the 1st generation of which were introduced in the mid-1980's, have been constantly evolving since their inception. Today, over 2B mobile phones are in usage and... read more |
Aging Baby Boomers -
As the Baby Boomers continue to enter retirement, the U.S. faces one of the most dramatic demographic shifts in its history. The baby boom ran from 1946 to 1960, during... read more | Airline Travel - Southwest Airlines was one of the few US airline companies with the foresight -- and the balance sheet -- to hedge oil prices years ago.
Most commercial airline companies... read more |
Aluminum Prices -
At roughly 1/3 the weight of an equivalent volume of steel, aluminum is lightweight yet strong enough for a wide range of uses. It is a good conductor of heat and... read more | Antitrust Legislation -
US antitrust legislation or "competition law" focuses on three kinds of activity discouraging to competition: monopoly, mergers and acquisitions (M&A), and price... read more |
Asthma drug market -
Asthma is a respiratory condition in which the airways become inflammed and constrict, usually in response to one or more environmental triggers. As a serious and... read more | Auction Rate Securities -
Auction Rate Securities are a type of long term bond which, via weekly (or monthly) "auctions", allow holders to sell off the debt to others and recoup their money at... read more |
‘One China’: Taiwan Conflict - China's most significant foreign policy goal is the control of Taiwan. This goal could embroil China and the West in a diplomatic and military... read more | Baltic Dry Index (BDI) -
The Baltic Dry Index is a daily average of prices to ship raw materials. It represents the cost paid by an end user to have a shipping company transport raw materials... read more |
Barnett Shale - The Barnett Shale is a natural gas deposit that stretches over a dozen counties in northern and eastern Texas. It is the second largest producing on-shore domestic natural gas... read more | Beef Prices -
In 2007, the retail value of all US produced beef was $74 billion.[1] Beef prices depend in part on the availability and pricing of cattle feed. For instance, heavy droughts... read more |
| Blu-ray vs. HD DVD -
As of mid February, 2008, the battle for supremacy in high-definition DVD technology is over. Toshiba has officially surrendered to Sony in the most expensive format war... read more |
Broadband Technologies - Broadband is often called high-speed Internet, because it usually has a high rate of data transmission relative to dial-up access over a modem. In general, any... read more | Carbon Trading - Carbon emissions in action, EPA
Carbon emissions by sector and fuel type, EIA
"Warming of the climate system is unequivocal, as is now evident from the obsservations in... read more |
Cardiac Disease - In modern times, cardiac disease has emerged as the leading cause of death worldwide, particularly in developed countries. The World Health Organization reported that 16.7... read more | Cellulosic ethanol -
It’s hard to open a newspaper without finding a story about biofuels, and in particular, ethanol. Most cars in Brazil can run on 100% ethanol.
Ethanol, if blended with... read more |
Chicken Prices - The US poultry sold $43 billion of chicken in 2007.[1] Chicken prices are highly dependent on chicken feed prices. In fact, feed costs make up 65% of the cost of raising a... read more | |
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| Cigarette excise taxes -
In the U.S., tobacco products and especially cigarettes are often taxed at both the federal and state levels. The aim of the tax is both to raise government funds and... read more |
Clean Coal -
Coal can be very dirty. When you pick up a briquette to put in your barbeque, your fingers turn black; when coal is burned in power plants and factories, the smoke released into... read more | Clinical trials -
Clinical trials are the process by which a new drug's safety and effectiveness are tested as part of the FDA approval process. When a company discovers and develops a new... read more |
Cloud Computing -
Cloud computing refers to emerging computing technology that relies on central servers for the delivery and maintenance of applications. That is, the hardware and software... read more | Coal Power - If you are reading this article on a computer plugged into a standard wall socket in the U.S., there is a 50% chance that your computer is being powered by coal. Coal is the... read more |
Commodities Prices -
A commodity is a physical substance, such as food, grains, and metals, which is interchangeable with another product of the same type. Commodities are raw materials that... read more | Commoditization of PCs - Over the last few decades, PCs have become an increasingly important part of our daily domestic and work lives. PCs are used for tasks ranging from rudimentary email... read more |
Corn Prices -
Corn is the most widely produced feed grain in the United States, accounting for more than 90 percent of total production. Around 80 million acres of land are planted with corn.... read more | Cotton Prices - Cotton is a basic crop that is a major input for the textile, agriculture, and food industries. 64 percent of cotton is used for apparel, 28 percent for home furnishings, and 8... read more |
Dairy Prices - In the US, dairy has a farm value of production that makes it second only to beef [1]. (See Beef Prices for more on US beef production and consumption.) Despite increasing... read more | |
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Diabetes drug market -
Diabetes is the syndrome of having excess blood sugar due to low levels of insulin or insulin resistance. Approximately 21 million individuals in the U.S. have diabetes,... read more | Digital Outdoor Advertising - Digital outdoor advertising is turning old media into new media and a sluggish outdoor advertising industry into a growth industry. With digital signage becoming a... read more |
Docsis - Docsis is a technology that increases internet download speeds over existing cable TV lines by selectively sending TV channels to viewers as they request them, rather than broadcasting... read more | E-Commerce - One of the first and most prominent e-commerce players, iconic eBay has left a huge footprint on the way we buy and sell.
The Internet has created a new economic ecosystem, the... read more |
Election 2008 - The two main candidates, Barack Obama (Democrat) and John McCain (Republican), differ greatly in their approach to the economy. On points ranging from how deal with rising... read more | |
Emerging Markets -
Emerging markets generally refer to the economic activity in industrializing regions of the world. The term is often used interchangeably with developing markets, though... read more | |
| FDA regulation - The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services that is responsible for regulating food, dietary supplements,... read more2115 views |
| Fixed-line telecommunication -
Land-line or fixed-line telecommunication is over 125 years old and, up until the recent past, was defined as a telephone line that traveled through metal wire or... read more |
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Genetically Modified Foods -
Genetically modified foods have been altered in some way, usually for the purpose of increasing yield or efficiency. This is common in agricultural crops,... read more | Geothermal energy -
Whether it stems from the burning of fossil fuels or the decay of radioactive rocks, heat is what drives most modern base-load electricity generation. Most of the ways we... read more |
Global Climate Change - Global warming could mean more freak storms like Hurricane Katrina, pictured above--bad news for insurance companies.
For thirty years now, many scientists have been... read more | Gold prices - Gold is one of the most highly-sought after precious metals in the world. It is used in jewelry, electronics, and coinage. Gold is widely considered to be an effective hedge... read more |
Government Regulatory Agencies -
A regulatory agency is a government department that has responsibility over the legislation (acts and regulations) for a given sector. Regulatory agencies exist... read more | Grains Prices - Grains is a blanket term describing the edible seeds or fruits of a variety of different grasses. The most commonly cultivated grains include maize (corn), wheat, rice, barley,... read more |
| Health & Wellness -
The term "health and wellness" has become a powerful tool for marketers in various industries. As people decide to change their habits and pursue healthier lifestyles,... read more |
Hurricane Season - Hurricanes are a fact of life along the gulf coast and Southeastern United States. The Atlantic hurricane season typically begins around the beginning of June and lasts until... read more | |
Hybrid and Fuel Cell Vehicles -
This article describes Hybrid / Fuel Cell technology in automobiles. For a broader discussion of fuel saving technology and alternative energy in automobiles see... read more | Identity Theft - [1]
Identity Theft is a type of fraud in which perpetrators obtain and use victims' private information, like social security numbers, bank account numbers and driver's... read more |
Immigration - US Immigrant Population by Region or Origin (000s)
The United States is the single largest economy in the world and arguably the most liberal. It is therefore not surprising... read more | Impact of Internet Advertising - The breadth of U.S. advertisers across virtually all industries means that growth of advertising spend is highly correlated with the GDP, a measure of the... read more |
Incidence of Cancer -
In modern times, cancer has emerged as a leading cause of death, particularly in developed countries. Whereas vaccines and cures have eliminated many of the diseases... read more | Inflation -
Inflation is a measure of how much the general level of prices for goods and services is rising over time. As inflation rises, the purchasing power of every unit of currency is... read more |
| Interest Rates -
This article describes the impact of interest rates. A related concept is the Yield Curve.
An interest rate is the cost of borrowing money. Among the many industries affected... read more |
IPhone - click to enlarge image
Prior to its June 29th release in 2007, Apple's iPhone had already seen the kind of media hype and expectation that other consumer products could only dream of.... read more | IPod Effect - In April 2007, Apple celebrated its 100 millionth iPod sale, claiming that it was the fastest selling music player in history. Indeed, after its introduction a little over five... read more |
Iraq War -
On March 20, 2003, a U.S.-led coalition invaded Iraq, setting off a conflict that has yet to be resolved. As with any military campaign, defense contractors and manufacturers of... read more | |
Lasik Surgery - Lasik surgery is a surgical procedure to correct vision.
Because laser vision correction is not covered by Medicare, Medicaid, or most private insurance plans, consumers must pay... read more | LCD -
Liquid Crystal Displays (LCDs) are used to in flat-panel monitors and high-end flat-panel television. Recently, the market for LCDs has exploded as flat screen monitors and televisions... read more |
Lower Tertiary -
The lower tertiary is an informal designation for a layer of the earth's crust deposited during the Paleogene period, between 65 and 23 million years ago.
In the... read more | Low Power Technologies -
"As hand-held and embedded computing devices become more powerful and as wireless connectivity becomes more pervasive, small form-factor devices will affect every... read more |
Luxury Consumption - Demand for luxury goods can be seen as a bellweather of burgeoning economies, as wealthy population segments consume more leather goods, clothes, watches, liquor and other... read more | |
Medicare - Medicare is a government program that covers most health care costs for people 65 and older, as well as individuals undergoing dialysis treatment for kidney failure. Medicare covers... read more | Mixed-Signal Integrated Circuit - Integrated Circuits (ICs) are generally classified as digital (i.e., microprocessors) or analog (i.e., operational amplifiers). Mixed-signal ICs are chips that... read more |
| Mobile Phone Usage in China - China: the next big mobile phone gold mine?
China's mobile telephony market can make or break manufacturers. Similarly, the enormous subscriber base of Chinese... read more |
| Mortgage Market Meltdown -
Rapidly increasing defaults in the mortgage market finally reached the point where market participants realized that assumptions underlying the whole mortgage... read more898 views |
Movie Attendance -
Going to the movies has long been a staple American pastime, but this traditional night out has come under pressure in recent years. The number of moviegoers has been... read more | |
Natural gas - Natural gas pipeline, photo courtesy of FERC
Remember when your mom used to remind you to "sniff for gas" before leaving the house? While safety was (hopefully!) her main concern... read more | |
New Payment Technologies -
The once-common question "Cash or credit?" has fallen into disuse, the contemporary "Credit or debit?" stealing the title of most-asked question in checkout lines... read more | Nuclear Energy - Nuclear energy involves a controlled reaction to split atoms of nuclear fuel, typically uranium or plutonium, creating two new atoms. When accomplished on a reasonable scale,... read more |
Nursing Homes - As of 2007 there were approximately 1.7M elderly Americans in 17,000 skilled nursing facilities across the United States.[1] These nursing homes provide care for elderly... read more | Obesity -
Worldwide levels of obesity are rising, a trend especially pronounced in the United States. Obesity--both morbid and not--has been linked to a number of serious diseases, especially... read more |
Off-price Retail -
Off-price retailers sell clothing and accessories from major-label brands at a significant discount. These companies take advantage of overruns, canceled orders, and... read more | |
Oil Prices -
Few inputs impact the world economy like the price of oil. Oil powers cars, trucks, boats, airplanes, and even power plants that make up the backbone of the global economy. As oil... read more | Online Video - The explosive growth of Google's YouTube and video-sharing services such as BitTorrent has led to a dramatic increase in the amount of data traversing the internet -- Google CEO... read more |
Open Source -
Open source software differs from traditional commercial software because it is generally free of charge, or in some cases offered for a minimal fee. The term "open source" means... read more | Osteoporosis drug market -
Osteoporosis a disease characterized by decreased bone mineral density (BMD), which causes brittle bones and increases the risk of fracture. The disease affects 10... read more |
Outsourcing to China - Investors betting on the growth of business process outsourcing to China should be focused on engineering and IT investments connected China, because these job functions... read more | Peak Oil - “Peak oil” is a concept recognized and described by geologist Dr. M. King Hubbert (the peak in oil production curves is called Hubbert’s Peak) in 1955 that refers to the fact... read more |
| Pharmaceutical patents -
Pharmaceutical patents protect manufacturers of prescription drugs, prohibiting others from producing a drug during the length of its patent protection. The length of... read more |
Private Equity's Impact - Private equity refers to a type of investment aimed at gaining significant, or even complete, control of a company in the hopes of earning a high return. As the name... read more | Private Label Trends - Private labels as % of 2006 sales for the top four U.S. grocery retailers
Private label describes products manufactured for sale under a specific retailer‘s brand. ... read more |
| Revaluing the Yuan - Many argue that the Chinese currency is undervalued relative to the U.S. dollar due to the Bretton Wood II system. The U.S. possesses several mechanisms to seek a... read more |
Rise of China's Middle Class - Increasing prosperity among the Chinese populace is creating a new market for Western retailers who previously envisioned China solely as a supplier of goods. ... read more | |
Robotics - The robotics industry is separated into three main fields: industrial robotics, service robotics, and personal robotics. While these three fields all are expected to grow, service... read more | Rock Band vs. Guitar Hero -
Whether you are a hardcore gamer or a casual player, you've probably heard of Rock Band and Guitar Hero, video games that are allowing people without musical ability... read more |
| Sex and Porn -
Sex and porn have grown from small, somewhat underground markets into increasingly mainstream industries. While most still consider sex itself to be a private act, the topic has... read more |
Shape-Based Postage Regulations -
On May 14, 2007, the U.S. Postal Service changed its pricing to take into account the shape of a letter in addition to its weight. The change reflected the... read more | Silicon Prices - Silicon, essentially sand, is the second-most abundant element on Earth. Since the start of the Computer Age, though, silicon has been used primarily to make semiconductors, for... read more |
Silver Prices -
Silver is a precious metal that is used in many different areas such as jewelry, photography, and a wide array of industrial applications. In fact, industrial applications (for... read more | Smart phone - AAPL, PALM, and RIMM smart phones Smart Phones are advanced phones with computer-like functionality such as the ability to browse the internet. While 80% of US adults have a... read more |
Smoking cessation drug market - Smoking is the largest preventable cause of death in the United States.Cite error 4; Invalid <ref> tag; refs with no name must have content There are... read more | Social media -
Social media describes websites that allow users to share content, media, etc. Common examples are the popular social networking sites like Friendster, Facebook, MySpace, etc. ... read more |
