Business

The “day of reckoning” for startups is here

Published

2 months ago

March 24, 2023

ticker NEWS

The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank has uncovered the truth about the startup sector. What rose from the ashes of the GFC is now a bubble about to burst.

We are going to start right back in 2008. Remember the Global Financial Crisis? it was meant to have huge ramifications for the banking sector – And after all the collapses, all the redundancies, all the pain – we were told it could never happen again.

Well just a few weeks ago, the very foundations of our banking system were called into question – again.

Silicon Valley Bank may not be the world’s biggest, or even America’s biggest – but it did punch above its weight. Why? Because of its title. It was literally the bank of Silicon Valley.

The past 16 years have been extraordinary for the startup sector. Enormous growth multiples that defied the rest of Wall Street.

That is – until the music stopped in the investment community. All these startups that believed you could be worth a billion dollars on the back of buzz suddenly realised the money had run dry.
It’s now about good old-fashioned profit. It had to happen some time.

But it happened right after COVID – and right before all that stimulus money washing around the community had to be taken back. Interest rates had to rise, and suddenly all these startups had to withdraw their cash to survive.

Central Banks now find themselves at a horrible crossroads. Keep raising rates to fight inflation, but risk financial instability.

The job of central bankers is to keep banks stable. But in order to keep them stable, they have to raise rates to combat inflation, and the unintended consequences about that hit really hard.

The central banks are now contradicting themselves. To create stability, they have to create instability. It’s the problem with their blunt instruments.

Let’s take Silicon Valley Bank – More expensive money reduced the value of their securities portfolios and has made it likelier that depositors will flee to the big banks.

Did you hear that? So after creating the conditions that led to too much money in the economy, to now raising rates to claw it all back, that now led to instability in the financial system – the Fed doesn’t want to know.

Let’s bring it back to the poor depositors of Silicon Valley Bank – It’s a nightmare out there in startup land.

Economic fear and funding uncertainty has put startup-founder mental health in a tailspin. Many suffer in silence because they worry that talking about it will worry investors that the sector is in trouble.

The startup economy of today is eerily similar to the banking sector of 2007 right before the financial crisis – with companies dangerously close to the edge. #Silicon Valley bank #svb #credit suisse #fed reserve #silicon valley

Business

When will airfares begin to fall?

Published

17 hours ago

June 1, 2023

ticker NEWS

As the global aviation market rebounds, airlines are changing their service offerings

Over 46 million workers in the global aviation sector lost their jobs as global aviation came to a grinding halt at the onset of the pandemic.

However, Geoffrey Thomas from AirlineRatings.com said passengers have returned to airport terminals and boarded flights in droves.

“When travelled returned, many of us wondered what sort of low airfares will we have to be charged to entice people back onto airplanes.”

In February 2023, total traffic (measured in revenue passenger kilometres) rose 55.5 per cent when compared to February 2022.

Globally, traffic is at 84.9 per cent of February 2019 levels.

“It was a stampede, the likes of which we have never seen before,” Mr Thomas said.

Business

The worst of inflation could be behind us

Published

17 hours ago

June 1, 2023

ticker NEWS

The unprecedented nature of the pandemic continue to shape international fiscal policy

As reserve banks and federal reserves continue to battle the impacts of Covid-19, inflation has become a dominate issue.

In some parts of the world, rising household costs have slowed consumer spending by more than expected.

It means the end of aggressive rate hikes could come to an end in a matter of months.

In Australia, recent data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics confirmed inflation has passed its peak and is beginning to moderate.

The numbers show annual inflation peaked in December 2022 but will still remain higher for longer than anticipated.

Matt Grudnoff is a Senior Economist at The Australia Institute, who said these are uncharted waters.

“I don’t think they should be fully blamed.

“The pandemic was an entirely different kind of recession, one that we have never seen before.

“The world went into recession because the world shut down for very good health reasons.

“But the economy rebounded extremely quickly, simply because there was no underlying problem with the economy,” he said.

Business

“I think there is a great risk”: will AI steal our jobs?

Published

2 days ago

May 31, 2023

ticker NEWS

Artificial Intelligence has become an increasingly powerful and pervasive force in our modern world.

Artificial intelligence is not a new concept. However, the growing advancements have the potential to revolutionise industries, improve efficiency, and enhance the quality of life.

Along with its promising advancements, artificial intelligence also brings certain risks and challenges that must be acknowledged and addressed.

It has become the focus of lawmakers, who are working towards greater regulation of the sector.

U.S. and European Union officials recently met in Sweden to weigh up the benefits and challenges of artificial intelligence, and other emerging technologies.

“The AI process is creeping up on us,” said Dr Keith Suter, who is a global futurist.

“You’ve got competition between companies.”

It’s almost like some of us can see this raft that’s heading towards the rapids and a disappearance towards the waterfall, and we’re giving a warning but it’s not being heeded because everybody’s in this race to get down to the river,” Dr Suter said.