Week of October 9 - October 15 Flashcards
More people are commuting for long amounts of time. What is a quality of a happy commute?
Predictable / productive
An eMarketer study found 2 connected trends. One is that our time on mobile devices is increasing. What is the other?
Increased multi-tasking
Amazon’s Kindle HDX has a new help system, what is it called?
Mayday button
What threw financial markets for a loop and undid most of the progress achieved in making the Fed more transparent?
decision not to taper after months of taper talk
Manhattan office rent rates are growing at a much lower rate than normal due to decreased demand from which sector?
financial sector
J.P. Morgan is conducting a rigorous analysis to ensure it learns as much as possible about its business clients. What is this analysis called?
“Know Your Customer”
Banks around the world are figuring out plans in case the U.S. does default. Which bank has a facility in place to provide banks with dollars if U.S. short term funding markets seize up?
Bank of England
Companies have been treating their office workers to musical chairs, switching where they sit every few months. This has been shown to do what?
Increase productivity and collaboration
Samsung and Apple are battling it out in courts in multiple countries. Mr.Froman overturned a ban on Apple products by the ITC, while leaving in place one against Samsung, leading to talks of favoritism for American products. What is Mr.Froman’s position?
U.S. Trade Representative
What has made diesel and other fuels made in the U.S. bargains abroad even after added shipping costs?
use of local oil vs. North Sea crude
Brazil’s once-booming economy is now slowing down, partially because of consumption growing at its lowest level since 2004. What is the cause of this low consumption?
increasing household consumer debt
Tehran is expected to offer to stop producing medium-enriched uranium to limit sanctions. What purity is this considered to be?
20%
Two physicists shared the Nobel Prize for predicting the existence of a particle that confers mass to all other particles. What were their names?
Peter Higgs & Francois Englert
Tall belt-lines give cars a sleek profile, however they pose sight-line problems for which group of drivers?
Those below average height
Event designers have opted to use what 2 focal items in lieu of more traditional flowers?
creative lighting and artsy installations
Switzerland’s main market regulator said Friday that it was investigating several Swiss financial institutions for possible manipulation of exchange rates. What is the name of Switzerland’s main market regulator?
Finma
Coffee buyers can receive their orders in small gunny sacks or large lined containers. Why are gunny sacks preferred by some?
better quality control
Repos are an obscure but critical source of funding for financial companies. What does repo stand for?
repurchase agreement
Jos. A. Bank wants to buy or be bought by Men’s Warehouse. This would allow Jos. A. Bank to move away from what policy they have used since the recession?
Deep discounting
Walmart is ending its joint venture in India. Why did Walmart enter into the joint venture initially?
only foreign involvement allowed by the government at that time
Two years ago, Nest, a start-up, unveiled a smart home thermostat. They recently released a smoke detector. The group of engineers and designers that founded Nest were originally from what company?
Apple
Former Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi will face trial on November 4 as part of the military’s crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood. What is he being charged with?
inciting his followers to kill protestors against his rule
There is a class action suit against the U.N. by Haitians alleging that the organization “knowingly disregarded the high risk of transmitting cholera to Haiti” by contaminating which water source?
Artibonite River
The Fed said that it would keep short-term interest rates near zero until when?
Unemployment drops to 6.5% and inflation remains less than 2.5%
Asia’s biggest refiner is a client of Citigroup, and goes by the nickname Sinopec. What is the company’s full name?
China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation
Rising demand for metals used in everything from smartphones to air conditioning units reflects improving economic conditions in the Euro zone. Which 4 metals are expected to have an increased price next year on average?
lead, tin, zinc, aluminium
When Warren Buffett retires, three roles will replace his. Name the position that will be shared by Ted Weschler and Todd Combs.
chief stock picker
To win EU support for state aid to Alitalia, Rome needed private investors. What was Mr. Berlusconi’s nickname for these investors?
Captains Courageous
There were large new car sales increases posted in China for September. Why is this?
seasonality (national holiday) and decreased tensions with Japan
There has been inadequate funding and deferred maintenance on infrastructure due, in part, to the failure to raise more money in this manner.
increased fuel taxes or vehicle registration fees
The murder of a young man sparked anti-Caucasus riots in Russia. Russia’s main investigative agency, called what, is looking into the matter.
Investigative Committee
Activists plan to disrupt operations at the Phoenix office of the ICE until legislation is passed regarding their issue of concern. What does ICE stand for?
Immigration and Customs Enforcement
A Detroit-based group challenged Michigan’s Proposal 2, a 2006 voter initiative barring Michigan’s public education institutions from giving preference to anyone on the basis of race. This group is named after a phrase popularized by a famous civil rights leader, to “fight for equality by any means necessary”. Who was this leader?
Malcolm X
Clean-coal plants turn low-grade coal into gas before burning it, a process called gasification that captures 65% of CO2. What is the low-grade coal known as?
lignite
The saying that “the best offense is a good defense” is being proven false by which team in the MLB?
Detroit Tigers
A study found that bariatric patients who have surgery to remove excess skin are more likely to keep weight off after procedures. What is a possible medical reason for this?
removes fatty tissues, which secrete appetite-affecting hormones
Pregnancy often causes the separation of the external abdominal muscles. What is the name of this condition?
Diastasis recti
China may soon follow foreign companies registered where to raise capital by selling shares.
China (Shanghai) Free Trade Zone
Former executives of MF Global are trying to use an additional $10 million in insurance money for what?
legal representation / legal fees / damages
Many fixed-income managers have shortened their “duration” to mitigate damage from potential rate increases. What does “duration” mean in this sense?
measure of how sensitive a bond portfolio is to interest rates
What is one of the key challenges that IKEA’s new CEO, Peter Agnefjall, will have to face in order to retain IKEA’s competitive edge?
protect long lead times built into product design
Roche Holding is the leader in the world biologic drug market, which is increasingly making up a larger part of the world’s pharmaceutical market. Where is Roche opening a new production facility it hopes will help keep up with growth?
Basel, Switzerland
Tata Motors is reeling from the flop of the Nano. What other brands does Tata own that help keep it stable despite such a failure?
Jaguar & Land Rover
Robert Shiller, Lars Peter Hansen, and Eugene Fama received the Nobel Prize in Economics for their work in “empirical analysis of asset prices”. Who awards this honor?
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
Muslim pilgrims were in Saudi Arabis for the climax of the annual hajj. Many gathered at a place east of Mecca where Prophet Muhammed delivered a farewell sermon to pray for peace. What is this place?
Mount Arafat
Amazon is setting up shop inside the warehouses of important suppliers as it works to open the next big frontier for internet sales, which is what?
everyday products
When it comes to IPOs, what characteristic can be seen as negative as it can suggest maturity?
profitablility
Tower Group International, Ltd. illustrates the pitfalls of building an insurer through deals, as a consulting firm is predicting an increase in mergers-and-acquisitions in the insurance sector. What is the name of the consulting firm?
Deloitte
Chinese companies are becoming major developers throughout the U.S. What is the name of the largest Chinese developer that is co-developing two condominium towers in San Francisco?
China Vanke, Co.
Alibaba invested in Amazon rival ShopRunner. What company also recently invested in ShopRunner and now gives U.S. customers free membership?
American Express
Sotheby’s and Christie’s International are the world’s chief auction houses, yet they have different approaches with regards to items with value below $5,000. What is the rationale behind Sotheby’s approach to these items?
2% of overall turnover, research showed that $5,000 clients weren’t going to move upstream
