Thematic Reading #34 Vol. 6

The summer heat, the deluge of 2Q 2022 earnings reports, and the widely awaited July Federal Reserve monetary policy meeting can’t slow down the pace of confirming data points for our investment themes, indices, and models. With so much grabbing everyone’s attention, we’re going to “cut to the quick” and get right to the latest headlines that speak to our investment strategies.

Enjoy!

Photo by Waldemar Brandt on Unsplash

Aging of the Population
Capturing the demographic wave of the aging population and the changing demands it brings with it:

• Car Companies Have Interesting Ways of Catering to Aging Drivers

• Europe faces aging population nightmare in ‘absolute collapse

• Australia’s aging-population crisis is almost upon us

• State Office for the Aging outlines services provided for New York’s seniors in annual report

• Nearly 2.5 Mln People Didn't Work Due to Old Age in June

Cleaner Living
Growing demand for items that claim to be better for you and the planet:

• The FoodNavigator Podcast: From clean label to clean living

• What is vegan haircare?

• NJ will pay you up to $4,000 to buy an electric vehicle

Consumer Inflation Fighters
Companies poised to benefit as consumers stretch the disposable spending dollars they do have:

• Walmart’s slashed profit outlook sends warning about state of the American consumer

• Why Food Prices Will Remain High Even As Inflation Slows

• Nearly half of all Americans are falling deeper in debt as inflation continues to boost costs

• Inflation May Give Younger Consumers Pause Before Reaching for Their Cards

• How ‘Heatflation’ is Heating up Food Prices

Cyber Security & Data Privacy
Securing individuals and organizations against cyber threats and privacy violations:

• Hackers leaked two billion usernames and passwords in 2021

• Security flaws in a popular GPS tracker are exposing a million vehicle locations

• FBI warns hackers are using fake crypto apps to defraud investors

• Hackers are targeting industrial systems with malware

• Hackers steal 50,000 credit cards from 300 U.S. restaurants

• An Entire Canadian Town Is Being Extorted By Ransomware Cyber Criminals

• Hacker selling Twitter account data of 5.4 million users for $30k

Digital Infrastructure & Connectivity
The Buildout and upgrading of our Networks, Data Storage Facilities, and Equipment:

• Server outage causes Cruise self-driving cars to block traffic

• Microsoft tries to fill big gaps in broadband maps

• YouTube rolls out new shopping features, announces partnership with Shopify

• Struggling In The West, Livestreaming E-Commerce Is A Luxury Sales Driver In China

Digital Payments & FinTech
Companies leveraging technology to disrupt and improve the financial services and payments industries:

• Payments Space Supports Growth With Innovation

• ECB’s Lagarde Says Embrace Digital Euro, Ditch Cryptocurrencies

• Walmart’s Super App, Cashi, Marries Digital Payments and Cash in Mexico

• Amazon Seller Wallet Launches With Bank Transfers

• Alipay’s Latest Roll-Out Puts Pressure On Global Players

Digital Privacy & Identity
Companies that are providing tools and services which verify authorized users and safeguard personal data privacy.

• A Frozen Document in China Unleashes a Furor Over Privacy

• Thales acquires OneWelcome to strengthen its authentication and data privacy portfolio

• The iPhone will be the future of proving our identity, online and offline

• Denmark bans Chromebooks and Google Workspace in schools over data transfer risk

Luxury Buying Boom
Tapping into aspirational buying and affluent buyers amid rising global wealth:

• LVMH Sales Jump, Helped by Demand for Luxury Bags and Booze

• Luxury industry to climb 6 percent annually to 2026, BCG and Comité Colbert say

• Luxury Retail’s Momentum Continues Into 2022

Rebuilding America
Turning the focused spending on rebuilding US infrastructure into revenue and profits

• Here Comes the Infrastructure Boom

• The Slow Bake of Our Infrastructure

• Most US Cities Plan to Use Infrastructure Aid on Roads and Bridges

• U.S. pipeline companies eye natural gas infrastructure for growth

• These are the states with America’s worst infrastructure

Sustainable Future of Food
Companies addressing the challenge of providing healthy, affordable, and nutritious food to a growing global population amid dwindling natural resources:

• Cultivated meat company Meatable showcases its first product - synthetic sausages

• CropOne, Emirate open “world’s largest vertical farm” in Dubai

• Upcycling Gains Traction as Key Sustainability Initiative

• Mushroom Leather May Be the Most Viable Vegan Alternative to Cowhide

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Recent Thematic Signals

• Thematic Reading #33 Vol. 6

• Thematic Reading #32 Vol. 6

• Getting ready for our Cybersecurity & Data Privacy webinar

• The Aging of the Population Model

• Enter Rebuilding America

• Catching up on thematic signals for Cybersecurity & Data Privacy

• 5G and eventually 6G will continue to drive digital infrastructure