FXCM Research Team

What Is A Write Down? A write down (also written as "writedown") is an accounting procedure in which a company reduces the value of an asset on its balance sheet to reflect its current, lower market value. A write down is also included on the company's income statement as an expense, which reduces its operating income. Write downs occur in all types of companies, although they may occur more often…

Major digital currency exchange Coinbase filed an S-1 registration statement in December 2020, a document that a company must submit before holding a direct listing or an initial public offering (IPO). If a company wants to offer securities under the Securities Act of 1933, it is required to file an S-1 with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Coinbase Global, Inc. filed this document confidentially, meaning that until the…

The Libra Association announced 1 December 2020 that it was going by the name the Diem Association, a move designed to help signify the project's evolution. The organisation stated that it was "reinforcing its organizational independence," but also confirmed that it would stick to its original mission of working toward "a safe, secure and compliant payment system that empowers people and businesses around the world." The new name, Diem, is…

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic brought the world a collection of unprecedented humanitarian and economic challenges. From the virus's initial onslaught in late-February to a November surge in infection rates, COVID-19 was a primary underpinning of 2020's global capital markets. Since the onset of the novel coronavirus, infectious disease experts have warned of a potentially devastating "second wave" of the virus sweeping the globe. As the fourth quarter of 2020 commenced,…

What Is A Loan Loss Provision? A loan loss provision is an amount of money a bank charges to its expenses on its income statement in anticipation that some of the loans it made will default. As a result, loan loss provisions reduce the bank's operating income. In 2020, loan loss provisions have been much in the news as many of the world's banks have announced major loan loss provisions…

What Are Animal Spirits? "Animal spirits" is a term coined by the British economist John Maynard Keynes to describe emotional or "gut" instincts by investors and businesspeople to take risks rather than based on any empirical evidence. Writing in his 1936 classic, "The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money," during the Great Depression, Keynes described animal spirits as "a spontaneous urge to action rather than inaction, and not as…

A U.S. administration headed by former Vice President Joe Biden is likely to take a different turn from the outgoing President Donald Trump administration when it comes to financial and economic matters. Trump was distinctly more pro-business and market friendly, reversing or rolling back many of the regulations and laws enacted by President Barack Obama. However, Biden is likely to do the same to many of Trump's policies and revert…

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic of 2020 proved to be a challenging period for the global economy. Unprecedented regional lockdowns, travel restrictions and mass quarantines prompted a historic downturn. Although some regions were harder hit than others, the common denominator was a rapid spike in unemployment. For heavily afflicted areas, a dramatic uptick in unemployment can have severe consequences. Traditional economic theory suggests that growing unemployment represents a downturn in…

What Is A Junk Bond? Junk bonds are debt securities issued by corporations with poor credit ratings, which means they yield more than investment-grade bonds because of their greater risk of default. Junk bonds are also known as high-yield or non-investment-grade bonds. Junk bonds are generally classified as having credit ratings below Baa by Moody's Investors Services and BBB by S&P Global Ratings and Fitch Ratings, the three main credit…

What Is Yield Spread? The yield spread is the difference in yield between two different bonds. Investors use the yield spread to measure the relative value of two different securities, particularly as it pertains to credit quality but also to liquidity and supply, which can influence bond prices and yields. Yield spread is measured in basis points. Most commonly, yield spread is measured against a benchmark, usually the yield on…

What Is Wirecard? Wirecard is a defunct German payments company that failed in June 2020 following a scandal in which it is accused of defrauding investors by claiming revenue and cash that proved to be nonexistent. Called the "Enron of Germany," the company had once been a high-flying financial technology company that, right up until the time of its collapse, was a member of the DAX 30 index, which tracks…