Pinterest was built on assumptions and biases Unlike most social networks, Pinterest admits it. From the start, you tell the company how to profile you: The service asks two personal questions when you register — your age and gender — and how you answer them shapes everything that happens next. Based on your responses, along…
Author: Finterest
Ep 66: Golden Delicious
What’s Going On Here? Apple recently told its suppliers to increase their iPhone 11 production – suggesting that the company’s anticipating higher customer demand than previously for its $700-plus handset. What Does This Mean? Whenever Apple launches a new product, it forecasts how much demand it expects there’ll be and then places the relevant orders…
Ep 65: A Jobbing Economy
What’s Going On Here? US economy added 136,000 jobs in September; While that was fewer than economists predicted, the country’s unemployment rate also fell to 3.5%: a 50-year low. What Does This Mean? Investors largely ignored the disappointing job additions – perhaps because the official estimates for job growth in previous months were simultaneously increased; those that were added…
Ep 64: Thomas Cooked
What’s going on here? Thomas Cook, the world’s oldest travel company, has abruptly shut down, leaving 500,000 stranded passengers around the world feverishly Googling “max number of days it’s ok to wear the same socks.” All 21,000 of its employees’ jobs at risk. FYI: The 178-year-old U.K.-based firm specialized in low-cost package vacations, bundling flights and accommodations in over…
Ep 63: No-Fly Zone
What’s Going On Here? The 178-year-old travel company Thomas Cook collapsed after last-minute bailout talks with lenders fell through. What Does This Mean? Thomas Cook might seem like the latest in a line of British companies that have been grounded. But make no mistake: this isn’t another Debenhams, where the company keeps operating under the control…
Ep 62: That Shrinking Feeling
What’s Going On Here? German economic activity shrank in September for the first time in six and a half years – and the jury’s out on just how deep this rabbit-hole could go. What Does This Mean? Monthly surveys ask companies in the manufacturing and services sectors how busy they’ve been. And in September, those in the…
Ep 61: Microsoft? Word
What’s Going On Here? Microsoft, the world’s biggest public company, got even bigger when investors double-clicked its stock after it announced a higher-than-expected dividend and fresh round of share buybacks. What Does This Mean? Even if you don’t own Microsoft shares directly, its sheer size – 4% of the US stock market – gives it a lot of sway over…
Ep 60: New money-laundering rules change everything for cryptocurrency exchanges
Complying with regulators could mean the difference between going mainstream and remaining forever on the margins of the global financial system. What’s going on here? One of the biggest knocks against cryptocurrency has always been its status as a refuge for tech-savvy criminals. The image persists, in part because some crypto firms have evaded regulators by…
Ep 59: Why CEOs Surround M&A Announcements with Unrelated Good News
What is this about? Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) are among the most consequential strategic decisions managers make. But markets often respond negatively to acquisition announcements, which means investors are skeptical about the transactions, their terms, or managerial motivations. Prior research suggests such skepticism may be well-founded: In quarters following acquisitions, CEOs in the U.S. are…
Ep 58: Mobile payments have barely caught on in the US
Key points Compared with China, India and other parts of the world, the U.S. is way behind in adopting mobile payments. It seems odd considering the ubiquity of smartphones in America. But experts say a deeply embedded legacy system and rewards cards make it unlikely that we’ll see a major shift anytime soon. What’s going on…
with HT 