Building the Google of Things

By Shamika Dighe

In 1999, Kevin Ashton, cofounder and then executive director of the AutoID Center at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, coined the phrase “Internet of Things” to describe atechnological ecosystem in which sensors and active data collection greatly diminished the humandependency of computers. Today, over a decade later, Google is embracing the prospect of an increasingly connected world and integrating the Internet of Things into its corporate strategy through the course of several strategic acquisitions.

Corporate Social Responsibility

By Shohini Kundu

In recent decades, corporations have come under increasing pressure from various groups to act in socially and environmentally responsible ways. In 1987, a group of Vermonters started a national campaign called McToxics to ban the use of styrofoam in food packaging. This campaign attracted students, animal rights activists, and even church groups. Even though McDonalds initially resisted pressure from the campaigners due to concerns about packaging cost and its impact on profit, it was in their longterm business interest to not alienate customer groups.

Urban Real Estate Rises Again

By Jack Kapp

The real estate market is in the midst of a return to urbanization. In a reversal of historical trends, the population is now growing at a faster rate in U.S. cities than in suburban areas. In fact, the U.S. Census Bureau estimates that urban markets grew by 1.12% from 2011-2012, while suburban markets grew by only 0.97%. This trend is a big change from this past decade when suburban…

Casting A Wide Net Over America

By Austin Opatrny

On February 27th Comcast, the largest cable company in the world, announced that it had submitted a bid to purchase industry rival Time Warner Cable in an allstock deal valued at $45 billion dollars. The combination of the two behemoths would give them a 30% market share of the American cable and internet provider market. The deal is part of Comcast CEO Brian Roberts’s plan to expand Comcast…

A Taxing Worry for the Financial Industry

By Nick Piccone

Congressman Dave Camp’s proposed tax reform bill aims to drastically change tax code for both individuals and corporations. The proposed increases of taxes on the nation’s largest financial institutions has caused outrage throughout the financial industry. Tax reform is a constant topic of debate in both the political and business worlds. Tax codes have a major impact on how businesses operate…

Bitcoin: The future of currency?

By Jack Kapp

In the aftermath of the financial crisis and the resulting monetary easing policies, Bitcoin was created to alleviate growing concerns of government manipulation of currency. Bitcoin is a virtual peer-to-peer currency that was introduced in January 2009 by a programmer or group of programmers using the name Satoshi Nakamoto. Bitcoin is designed as a decentralized currency that is not subject…

The DAX hits 12,000

By Hunter Bosson

On March 16th, the DAX, a German blue chip stock market index, passed 12,000 for the first time. 2015 has been a good year for the DAX; it has risen by 20% since early January, compared with a 2.4% rise in the S&P 500.

The Rise of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank

By Hunter Bosson

After half a century as the world’s premier international financial institutions, the IMF and World Bank finally have a credible rival. China’s Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), a multinational fund wielding roughly $50 billion in capital, has seen its coffers and membership swell in recent months, much to the U.S.’s chagrin.

The Chinese Economy

By Andrew Billiter

The Chinese economy posted disappointing growth figures again earlier this week, continuing the trend of slowing economic growth reported since 2012.

Citi Sells OneMain Financial to Springleaf

By Sang Hyun Park

On March 3, Citigroup announced that it has agreed to sell OneMain Financial Holdings Inc., its consumer lending unit, to Springleaf Holdings for a purchase price of $4.25 billion. The decision has been a culmination of Citi’s yearlong process of divesting its business in the hopes of an initial public offering or outright sale.

Fed: Banks could survive a $490 billion loss

By Sang Hyun Park

This month, the Federal Reserve released results for the first phase of stress tests on the nation’s top banks and has reported positive results.

Restructuring Wall Street

By Emma Nelson

The by-product of nearly 1200 mergers, JPMorgan Chase & Co. is in the business of expansion.

Fed Contemplates Higher Interest Rates

By Samantha Torre

As a result of the U.S. economic recession of 2008, short-term interest rates have remained extremely low, ranging from 0% to 0.25%, in an attempt to stimulate economic activity and lessen the burden associated with taking out loans. Seven years later, the U.S. economy has stabilized yet the Federal Reserve has preserved low rates.

Brazil: A Reflection of Latin America

By Ignacio Garcia Conway

During the late 20th century, Brazil’s story was not very different from that of the rest of Latin America. As the 1980s began most South and Central American countries, along other developing nations of the world, faced stagnant economies with high levels of inflation. The Mexican default in 1982 augmented monetary pressures throughout the region, leading to the loss of Brazil’s access to foreign financial markets. By 1985 one thing was clear: economic and fiscal reform was necessary.

Every Man for Himself: Greco-Russian Relations Heighten Tension with EU

By Grace Shi

Greece became the epicenter of the European debt crisis in October 2009, when it announced that it had been understating its budget deficit for years.

It’s Crunch Time! The Cayuga Crunch Story

By Sanjana Sethi

Adorning the shelves of cafés on the Cornell campus is a new entrant, and what they’re selling is not just a scrumptious mix of healthy goodness: Cayuga Crunch is selling a story. Their story. A story of unassuming freshmen who found something they loved doing and decided to share a bite of their passion with fellow students. And so the story goes.

The Reality of Mini-IPOs: A critical look at the new A+ capital-raising rule for small businesses

By Sang Hyun Park

For the unsuspecting entrepreneur, the announcement of an “A+” regulation in the venture capital ecosystem may seem like remarkably good news. A closer examination of the terms, however, will leave many venture heads disappointed.

Dancing to the Petrobeat

By Shohini Kundu

Since the summer of 2015, crude oil prices and the Dow Jones Industrial Average have been dancing a two-step tango. The pivot steps, marked by a sharp change in direction, are fully synchronized even when the music from the Fed signals no such turn. This is a sharp departure from the past five years when every turn of the stock market could be traced back to a change in key, orchestrated by the Fed.

Fashion Friend or Deadly Foe

By Catherine Wei

The world has never seen anything like this before. These revolutionary machines have changed society’s preconceptions of innovation by lowering production costs and increasing mass customization. They surpass traditional manufacturing processes and have become applicable to any field ranging from medicine to fashion. The gamechangers: 3D Printers.

Citi Sells OneMain Financial to Springleaf

By Sang Hyun Park

On March 3, Citigroup announced that it has agreed to sell OneMain Financial Holdings Inc., its consumer lending unit, to Springleaf Holdings for a purchase price of $4.25 billion. The decision has been a culmination of Citi’s yearlong process of divesting its business in the hopes of an initial public offering or outright sale.