The famous Big Mac index is a light-hearted gauge of whether currencies are at their ‘correct’ level and a useful way of comparing international salaries.
Two weeks ago stock markets were on a seemingly unstoppable bull run. Now they are in free fall.
The Economist
Tourism is booming but its influx has ruffled residents and impacted the growth of other industries.
Built in 1934 and designed by an architect, this pool is sleek, swooshy and perfectly proportioned. Penguins looked less as though they were living in it than modelling for it. There was just one problem.
All around the world, stock markets have been rising at a breakneck pace. But analysts are nervous. To keep the doom-mongering tractable, lets divide the worries into three groups. Here they are ...
THE ECONOMIST: Manners were first popular about a century ago. People are again saying ‘yes please’ to politeness across a host of platforms, notably on TikTok, where users are nervous about the modern world.
That this summer looks set to be punishing should not be a surprise. Global average temperatures have broken records for every month of the past year. But it’s not exceptional. The planet is now 1.2C warmer.
The Economist: After years of slow progress, robots suddenly seem to be getting a lot cleverer. What changed?
THE ECONOMIST: Oil giant Saudi Aramco has rivals over a barrel as it implements decarbonisation plans in the race towards climate targets — and green profits.
Its glittering jewels are supposed to be forever but the miner faces an uncertain future amid BHP’s bid for Anglo American.
Talk of takeover has long swirled around 107-year-old Anglo American, once among the biggest mining companies in the world.But BHP’s interest should come as no surprise.
Donald Trump may have a point on the cost of EVs today, but not for much longer — which is another reason to dismiss the gloom.
THE ECONOMIST: Few companies have had a worse start to the year than Boeing. The American planemaker now needs one hell of a pilot to reverse course.
THE ECONOMIST: For employers who require them, there are several arguments in favour of uniforms. But there’s also plenty of reasons why some staff hate them. Why?
In contrast to mid-range hotels, luxury ones are in the midst of a boom. The precise definition of what counts as luxury varies, but you know it when you see it. What’s driving the resurgence?
THE ECONOMIST: The companies behind weight-loss drugs known as GLP-1 agonists are now the world’s two biggest pharma firms by market value. But the pair face two similar problems.
THE ECONOMIST: Though its sales are less than half of Walmart’s, its return on capital, at nearly 20 per cent, is more than twice as high. What’s its secret?
Higher-education institutions employ more people than ever, but this growth has coincided with an economic slowdown.
THE ECONOMIST: Endometriosis affects as many as 190 million women worldwide but research into a cure has languished for decades. Relief may now be on the way.
Tech firms are racing to build the gadget that supplants the smartphone.
Trustbusters, platform shifts and geopolitics could all hurt the iPhone-maker.
For the sake of your wallet, it might be time to rethink your diet.
“China shock” has been blamed for everything from rising deaths among working-class Americans to the election of Donald Trump. Now China’s carmakers are enjoying an astonishing rise.
In the past few years, as the relationship between big business and Mr Trump’s MAGA Republicans has soured, executives have learned the hard way the risks of sticking their necks out.
