Ben Powell

2 months ago | theconversation.com | Jack K. Clegg |Ben Powell |John McMurtrie

We are all familiar with elastic materials – just think of a rubber band which can return to its original shape after being stretched. Humans have used elastic materials for millennia. These days, they’re in everything from optical fibres to aeroplanes and buildings. But until now, scientists haven’t been able to pinpoint exactly how these materials return to their original shape. What happens at the level of their molecules?

May 23, 2024 | lexology.com | Ben Powell |Lindsay Lee

Government's progress over the past year on infrastructure policy, funding and delivery has been 'mixed', the National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) Infrastructure Progress Review (the Review) reported last week. While some areas have seen 'some progress', in others progress has stalled or even slipped into reverse. We highlight some of the Report's key findings below.

Aug 10, 2023 | advisorperspectives.com | Wei Li |Ben Powell |Axel Christensen |Catherine Kress

EM hard currency debt – issued in U.S. dollars and thus cushioning returns from any local currency weakness – looks more attractive. Hard currency debt is more diversified than the local currency, based on J.P. Morgan indexes, and it could benefit from the rewiring of globalization. We also think lower credit ratings in EM hard currency debt are priced in given that yields are at a near 14-year high versus local currency bond yields, Refinitiv data show.

Apr 3, 2023 | lexology.com | Ben Powell

Last week the National Infrastructure Commission (the NIC) published its Infrastructure Progress Review 2023 (the Review). The NIC monitors the UK's major infrastructure needs across all sectors of the economy. The aim of the Review is to assess the UK Government's progress towards implementing past recommendations of the NIC.

Mar 27, 2023 | lexology.com | Ben Powell

At the start of March, the British Business Bank (BBB) published here its annual Small Business Finance Markets Report for 2022/2023 (Report). The Report contains a wide-ranging and deep analysis of data covering all aspects of debt and equity finance, and trade financing, available to SMEs throughout the United Kingdom, as well as focussing on two key strategic objectives of BBB: innovation and "Building the Modern Green Economy".