Monday morning briefing: The trillion dollar club
BlackRock will ask companies to disclose climate-related risks. The fintech industry could be squeezed by a market downturn. Private equities fundraising may decline in 2020. And much more in this week’s briefing.
Economic/industry news
The U.S. inflation rate was 2.3% in December: US consumer prices gain slightly; underlying inflation tame
China’s economy grew 6.0% (annualized) in the fourth quarter: China just reported its weakest annual growth in 29 years
JPMorgan’s outlook for alternative investments in 2020: What J.P. Morgan sees for hedge funds, real estate, other alt investments in 2020
ICE to enter ESG data business: ICE to launch ESG data service
Sustainable funds had flows of US$20.6 billion in 2019, setting a record: Sustainable fund flows smashed records in 2019: Morningstar
Chart of the week – The trillion dollar club
Alphabet (Google) surpassed a market capitalization of US$1 trillion last week, joining an exclusive club. So far, only tech firms have joined the club. Currently, three firms – Apple, Microsoft and Google – have trillion dollar valuations. Amazon hit the $1 trillion mark in 2019, but a subsequent decline in its share price pulled its market cap back to $929 billion. The next largest firms by market cap are Facebook and Berkshire Hathaway, but both have a long way to go in order to join the club.
Let us know who you think may be next?
Used with permission of Bloomberg Finance L.P.
News and notes (U.S.)
A look at the hedge fund industry in December: State of the industry: December 2019
The keys to success of top-performing hedge fund managers: This is what sets top-performing hedge fund managers apart
PE fundraising may decline in 2020: After record-breaking 2019, US PE fundraising expected to dip in 2020
The evolving environment for traders: Bonus culture on Wall Street is coming to an end
BlackRock will ask companies to disclose climate-related risks: BlackRock makes climate change a top priority
News and notes (Canada)
Picton Mahoney completes acquisition of certain alternative fund assets from Vertex One: Picton Mahoney expands further into alternatives with acquisition
Canadian VC investment reached US$1.17 billion in 2019: Canadian VC investment had a record year in 2019
The TSX is set to release the S&P/TSX Cannabis Index: TSX sparks up new pot index
Mortgage borrowing slowed in November: Household credit growth slows in November
On the pulse – New frontiers in fintech
Learning from the new banking environment in China: The future of banking has arrived
Using technology to enhance the customer experience: Driving emotional transformation
Big firms are benefiting from fintech companies: How the largest firms depend on fintech startups
Reducing loan default risks using machine learning: How machine learning is reducing loan defaults and easing debt recovery
Understanding some of the limitations of personalization: How personalization strategies can backfire on financial marketers
Visa purchases Plaid: Visa buys financial technology company Plaid for $5.3B
The fintech industry could be squeezed by a market downturn: Bye-bye fintech
High-net-worth topics
Helping the high-net-worth access blockchain investments: Guiding HNW clients on blockchain investment options
Is now the time to sell a private, family-owned business?: Family-owned businesses urged to sell before the party ends
Polls & surveys – What financials are saying
Longer lifespan linked to education and income (StatsCan): Gains in lifespan, health not equal: StatsCan study
Less U.S. investors are worried about a recession (Allianz): U.S. investors’ concerns over market volatility eased in Q4: Allianz
Younger Canadians are spending more time worrying about money (Scotiabank): Millennials worry more about money than older Canadians: poll