Thematic Reads: Week of September 23, 2019
Each week Team Tematica consumes a voracious amount of content as we look to stay on top of the latest data and mine it for tailwind and headwind signals for our 10 investment themes.
Aging of the Population
The global demographic shift towards a more senior population
- Millennials stand out for their technology use, but older generations also embrace digital life (Pew Research)
- From cohabitation to cohousing: How older baby boomers are revolutionizing senior living (Fast Company)
- Is An Aging Population Hurting The U.S. Economy? (Forbes)
Cleaner Living
Growing demand for items that claim to be better for you and the planet:
- Fashion industry shifting to sustainable manufacturing practices (Reuters)
- Forecasting future food trends: Consumers are demanding brands that reflect their values related to health and environmental sustainability (Food Business News)
- Trader Joe’s Cuts Produce Prices By 25% By Doing Away With Plastic Packaging (Return to Now)
- Longi brings forward manufacturing capacity plans by a year (PV Magazine) Chinese solar wafer giant Longi now expects to produce 65 gigawatts worth of wafers by the end of 2020, 12 months faster than had previously been estimated and a sign of how rapidly solar technology is scaling.
Digital Infrastructure
The Buildout and upgrading of our Networks, Data Storage Facilities and Equipment
- Verizon will turn on 5G in New York on Sept. 26 (CNET)
- Cloud Data Center Spending To Surge After Server Capacity Reached (CRN)
Disruptive Innovators
Business models designed to transform an entire industry and leap-frog over incumbents.
- Is that supplement safe to take? This AI tool scours research to find out (TechCrunch)
- Amazon and the All-Electric Future of Fleet Vehicles (Wired)
- Google claims to have reached quantum supremacy (FT)
- How 5G will change the game industry and spur innovation (Venture Beat)
Digital Lifestyle
The increasingly digital landscape that now underpins the entire consumer experience.
- Amazon allows shoppers without credit cards to pay online (Progressive Grocer)
- Amazon Prime Now Includes Free Mobile Game Content (IGN)
- Pinterest Refashions Online Shopping With Artificial Intelligence (The Wall Street Journal)
The products and services people will consume no matter the economic environment.
- Study Reports U.S. Restaurant Transactions Up in August (FSR Magazine)
Those things that bridge the gap between want and ability at every socioeconomic level.
- One in Four of New York’s New Luxury Apartments Is Unsold (The New York Times)
Consumers trading down when and where possible or looking to stretch the disposable dollars they do have.
- Americans Are Saving More, and That Isn’t Necessarily Good (The Wall Street Journal)
- The Labor Market Effects of Legal Restrictions on Worker Mobility (SSRN)
An increase in enforceability of noncompete agreements from the 10th to the 90th percentile lowered annual earnings by 3-4% and resulted in a 9% decline in the likelihood a worker would change jobs.
Areas around the world where rising disposable incomes are driving demand for a host of products and services.
Reflecting the evolving needs across individual, cyber, corporate and homeland security.
- With 5G in mind, senators plan big boost for Pentagon cybersecurity (Roll Call)
- Tech companies ramp up parental control options (Wall St. Journal)
- Army beefs up training for cyber defensive (Stars & Stripes)
- Hospitals face rising risk of sophisticated cyberattacks (Healthcare Finance)
What Else We Are Loving
Other reads, experiences, products, services and the like that we enjoyed so much this past week we just had to share
- How Negative News Distorts Our Thinking (Psychology Today)
- Lim Chow Kiat, one of the world’s top investors, rings the alarm, again (Business Standard) The head of Singapore’s massive sovereign wealth funds is worried about the stability of financial markets, economic growth, and the global political framework that is showing signs of stress.
