[Haamsaaveni (Hamsi) Kumar]

This is such an internally polarising topic for me because while I do believe in opening the markets for everyone, there must be some action taken to address market manipulation (unlike in the US, both the EU and UK legal regimes do not require intent to prove market manipulation occurred) for this to not occur again.

I definitely agree with your point in the QB on how the current crisis will only push people towards meme stocks and thus, the need for greater regulation.

[Haamsaaveni (Hamsi) Kumar]

Hey Andrew,

I definitely think lab-grown meat will be embraced by many as an alternative to plant-based food due to the fact that not much plant-based food can truly replicate the feel and texture of real meat and most people, whether they are trying to mix things up or want to move away from a meat-based diet, would want something that reminds them of meat.

On the issue of cost, it could become cheaper if these companies are able to grow to scale.

[Haamsaaveni (Hamsi) Kumar]

I did not know about that, Andrew! Would not have thought Love Island as paving the way for ESG in fashion 😂

[Haamsaaveni (Hamsi) Kumar]

While Snap focused mostly on macroeconomic factors, I feel Snap’s major flaw is that it has designed itself in such a manner that it has limited itself because more millennials use Snapchat as opposed to TikTok – while predominantly being Gen-Z dominant, is branching itself out. I still think Apple’s privacy changes are going to make it tougher for companies as well as the fact that spending, in general, will go down in inflationary times.

[Haamsaaveni (Hamsi) Kumar]

Thanks, Andrew for highlighting the fact that it could work with ESG-conscious investors as well as the fact that less-sustainable production of lithium may increase due to demand. I think it highlights how there’s so much grey area within ESG in itself, whether its between the letters or whether it is for the benefit of current or future consumers.

[Haamsaaveni (Hamsi) Kumar]

Wow, I think you have given a great suggestion to manoeuvre the complex world of international politics. I am unsure about Nato countries pumping in money because it might just be seen as another sign of NATO aggressiveness by Putin and he’ll just proceed to annex/invade another part of Ukraine.

[Haamsaaveni (Hamsi) Kumar]

I have definitely noticed a difference! Food prices are high, transportation prices are much higher and it’s affecting my budget despite me being considerably frugal with spending.

[Haamsaaveni (Hamsi) Kumar]

This would definitely limit growth but I feel optimistic as Ofgem has said they want to increase charging stations but at the moment, this would limit people buying EVs as they would have to live somewhere near a charging station – and that may be restricted to more urban areas. There’s also a risk of technologies being made redundant due to the innovation we are seeing in batteries that there could also be a hesitancy caused by that.

[Haamsaaveni (Hamsi) Kumar]

I definitely agree with all of the points made but at the same time, I am not sure that Peloton would enter into another partnership at the moment because (1) they have just scaled down operations and they have stated they scaled too fast with overinvestment into certain areas but also (2) that they need to do more on safety than just recalling bikes. High-end gyms would want to make sure that the bikes are 100% safe before their members do this. (3) They have also had to deal with accusations of gross mismanagement and purposely enriching themselves through its stock sales since its IPO – may hinder partnerships at the moment.

[Haamsaaveni (Hamsi) Kumar]

I definitely agree that the Metaverse is something you can’t avoid for all the reasons you mentioned esp with Microsoft wanting to introduce it to Teams (and I personally believe Teams might win the Teams v Zoom rivalry)!

[Haamsaaveni (Hamsi) Kumar]

Disney has somehow managed to get their hand on so many key productions (Marvel, Lucasfilm, 21st Century Fox) that it is definitely worth it to get Disney+ as your favourite movie is likely on it. Their position is further strengthened by the fact that Marvel has many movies and tv-shows in line with their Phase Four productions.

I also did not agree with Netflix cancelling popular contemporary shows such as Patriot Act (which had such a loyal following – although there are some rumours that it was cancelled due to getting on the wrong side of certain countries). WIth contemporary/weekly shows, you definitely can get recurring views just by investing in one show and I don’t agree with it from a business point of view.

With the rest, I do feel there might be subscription fatigue and a likely winner from this might be Youtube because I think you can just buy the movies you want to watch – old school haha.

[Haamsaaveni (Hamsi) Kumar]

The Feds have been buying bonds since the pandemic to push down borrowing costs and stimulate the economy but as prices rise and worsening of Covid in the US alongside supply chain issues, they need to act more quickly than their March deadline.

However, the ECB has stated it wants to raise interest rates in 2024 which is too far along in my opinion with the inflationary pressures the EU is facing such as manufacturing shortages affecting Germany’s GDP.

[Haamsaaveni (Hamsi) Kumar]

Yeah, this is such a relevant question for me as I am not British and I am constantly learning about all kinds of British companies that I have not heard of before such as GAIL’s Bakery. I think one tip is to just focus on one industry at a time and slowly build your awareness based on that like retail. I also think just observing shops on the street while commuting to the office or school (which is what I do) and then googling about them is also helpful.

[Haamsaaveni (Hamsi) Kumar]

This QB could not have come at a better time! I loved your article!

My concern with the Metaverse is the idea of consolidation between Facebook and its wallet + its Paxo Dollar stablecoin (I assume it’s temporary while Diem is being approved) and Facebook getting access to all kinds of data including financial data. My issue is to what extent will that lead to a second Cambridge Analytica but this is pure speculation at the moment.

[Haamsaaveni (Hamsi) Kumar]

Thank you Alina!

I would suggest that some may be targeting retail investors because increasing number of players in the market = more $$ being transacted across the various platforms = creating a bigger pie for everyone to share a slice off.

Besides the industries you mentioned, we are seeing the music industry embracing NFTs whether it’s selling exclusive artwork like Grimes or Kings of Leon releasing their entire album as an NFT.

Another interesting NFT trend is that we are seeing domain names being sold on OpenSea where its blockchain domain enables censorship-resistant websites. This has attracted both investors and crypto traders (“sex.crypto” sold for 230 ETH/ around $90k). What’s even more interesting about these domains is that the websites on the domain can be “rented” out for profit (akin to real estate) and provides a chance for a passive return on investment. Definitely a space to watch and see if companies will get involved in this market.

It’s also noteworthy that you mentioned smart contracts because there’s news that some Magic Circle and US firms are working together to jointly create standards for legal smart contracts. NFTs are many things but certainly not boring!

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