Thematic Signals Vol. 7, #2

Earnings season, economic data nor a Fed meeting have slowed the pace for confirming signals for our thematics.

With two days left in the month of January, the pace of quarterly earnings is heating up with a number of high-profile companies including Amazon (AMZN), Apple (AAPL), Meta Platforms (META), Alphabet (GOOGL), and Qualcomm (QCOM) across the more than 550 earnings reports this week. Several pieces of key economic data for January will also be published this week, no doubt leading global growth expectations to be recalibrated. Also, don’t forget about the Federal Reserve’s highly anticipated monetary policy meeting. While the market expects the Fed to downshift the size of its rate hikes, in this case like all others, actions will speak loudest.

Even in this maelstrom, we continue to see confirming signals for our thematic strategies, which you can see for yourself below. Enjoy!

Photo by Evgeni Tcherkasski on Unsplash

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

• Aging planet: the new demographic timebomb

• America, it’s time to pay the demographic piper

• Solving the aging population care crisis via the metaverse

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

• A growing number of Americans face potentially crippling credit-card debt

• More people are carrying credit card debt, and it costs more than ever

• Consumer debt rose by a third in 2022

• Average holiday debt jumps to $1,550 — an 8-year high

• Credit Card Debt Pressures Millennials and Gen-Z Borrowers

• Why consumers are pulling back on spending

• Dollar Stores Are Growing as Food Retailers in the U.S.

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

• Ransomware Picture: Volume of Known Attacks Remains Constant

• Ransomware severs 1,000 ships from on-shore servers

• Over 10,0000 eCommerce Sites Fall Prey to Magecart Attacks

• EU cyber resilience regulation could translate into millions in fines

• Mailchimp 'fesses up to second digital burglary in five months

• Cybercriminals Target Telecom Provider Networks

• The dark web’s criminal minds see Internet of Things as next big hacking prize

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

• IoT trends to keep an eye on in 2023 and beyond

• What is Wi-Fi 7? Everything You Need to Know

• 6G project opens up new possibilities for connected mobility

• AWS to Invest Extra $35B in Virginia Data Centers by 2040

Digital Privacy & Identity
Companies providing the tools and services that verify authorized users and safeguard personal data privacy:

• Meta's WhatsApp fined 5.5 million euro by lead EU privacy regulator

• New York man defrauded thousands using credit cards sold on dark web

• Data breaches hit 42% more Americans last year, creating a “scamdemic” of identity theft

• Worldwide revenue for digital identity vendors to double by 2026 – report

• Consortium to test digital driving licences and medical prescriptions as part of EU’s European Digital Identity Wallet pilot

• The State of U.S. Data Privacy – 2022 Review and 2023 Predictions

EV Transition
Capturing the transition to EVs and related infrastructure from combustion engine vehicles:

• EV growth prompts Nissan to spend $250 million on U.S. engine plant

• Buses, Two- And Three-Wheelers To Spur EV Growth

• Coming Soon: A National Charging Network for Electric Vehicles

• Hertz just launched a major EV rollout program for US cities

• All Of The New Electric Cars Launching In The US In 2023

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

• Younger generations driving luxury sales

• Gen Z is starting to splurge on luxury shopping as young as 15 — up to 5 years earlier than their millennial counterparts did

• Luxury brands bet on the power of the rabbit — and the return of Chinese shoppers

• Richemont, Burberry optimistic about China luxury sales

• South Korea Is Now Home to the World’s Biggest Luxury Goods Spenders

Rebuilding America:
Turning the focused spending on rebuilding U.S. infrastructure into revenue and profits:

• As Infrastructure Money Lands, the Job Dividends Begin

• Overall Costs For Construction Materials Decline Steeply In December But Contractors Remain Wary Costs Will Go Up Again In The Year Ahead

• More dollars will be available for infrastructure projects and digital construction management in 2023

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

• Over 20% of Ukraine's arable land temporarily occupied - agrarian policy minister

• Destruction and Crop Losses in Ukraine

• Crop balance sheets indicate tighter supplies

• Precision agriculture – what lies ahead

• 3 Eco-Friendly Packaging Materials That Are Doing Sustainability Right

• CNH Industrial Takes Minority Stake in EarthOptics

---

Recent Thematic Signals

• Thematic Signals Vol. 7, #1 - Entering 2023, confirmation points for our thematic strategies continue

• Thematic Signals Vol. 6 #45 - Chatting Data Privacy & Digital Identity with Bio-Key International Chairman & CEO Michael DePasquale

• Thematic Signals Vol. 6 #44 - Ending 2022 on a strong thematic note

• Thematic Signals Vol. 6 #43 - The EV Transition is far bigger than the auto and truck sector

---

Tematica Thematic Indices

• Foxberry Tematica Research Cybersecurity & Data Privacy Index

• Foxberry Tematica Research Sustainable Future of Food Index

• Tematica BITA Cleaner Living Sustainability Screened Index

• Tematica BITA Data Privacy and Digital Identity Index

• Tematica BITA Digital Infrastructure & Connectivity Index

• Tematica BITA Big Spenders & Savers Index 

• Tematica Research Thematic Dividend All-Stars Index