How Corona Virus May Impact Global Investment Bank Revenues In 2020

Last Updated on 2 years ago by Imarticus Learning

The COVID-19 pandemic has so far infected over a million people and killed over 50,000 people, and has spread to more than 200 countries. While at some locations a handful of cases were reported, others with early community transmission have a few hundred. Unfortunately, at geographies with widespread transmission have reported thousands of cases.

Economic Disruptions

This pandemic has caused major disruption to global economies owing to the containment measures and lockdowns all over. It is quite evident now that because of the virus-containment measures global economies will be hit to a great extent. Lockdowns, social-distancing and other coronavirus-containment measures have led to a massive fall in the global economic activity – plummeting consumer demand, fall in crude oil prices, crash in global stock markets, and equally decreasing global banking revenues.
Going by the words of leading financial experts, a global recession cannot be ruled out. The decrease in demand and disrupted supply chains will eventually have a domino effect on other parts of the economy, causing the next global economic recession. Numerous financial institutions and banks have already cut their forecast for the global economy.

2019 witnessed a downward slide in global investment banks revenues; with ambiguity about the duration of this pandemic and vaccine release, the ongoing pandemic will continue to rattle trading revenues and global investment banks in 2020 as well. Over the past few weeks, billions of dollars have been taken out from credit lines and reduced the investor wealth.

The global banking industry, already under stress, will be impacted further due to consumer sentiments and ongoing liquidity concerns. The coronavirus shockwaves are rippling through the investment banking industry across the world, forcing investors to pull out their money from the credit lines; this has led to experts warning of severe liquidity crunch and a credit crisis. Asset managers are rewriting how they locate deals, manage their portfolio companies, and engage with promoters of potential targets.

Despite a decent start to 2020, virus-induced panic caused some of the worst market selloffs in February and March, with commodities prices and equities falling to new lows. The investment banking industry experts expect more price falls and continued volatility in the short term. This will require portfolio adjustments of scores of institutional investors.

Increased Market Volatility

The rise in global market volatility will cause the issuance activity to decrease which will hurt the investment banking revenues to a great extent. Economists are now pinning their hopes on the containment of this deadly virus; if not contained soon the damage can be enormous to the investment banking industry. The current market situation is similar to the selloffs in the fourth quarter of 2018 and in the first quarter of 2016 when transaction volumes plummeted after investors reshuffled their portfolios.

Containment Factor

Although it is still unclear how long the epidemic will last, investment strategists expect containment sooner rather than later in the year, and still hope for a quick rebound of the economy. However, strong monetary and fiscal policy responses under way could set the stage for a second-half rebound.

Also Read: How Corona Virus Impacting Financial Sector

How AI and ML Affects Cybersecurity?

Last Updated on 6 years ago by Imarticus Learning

The digital world has been shaken up many a time by cyber-attacks which only continue to get sophisticated and more complex. True to the fact that this era is being referred to as the ‘digital dark age’, data fraud and cyber attacks are two of the top 5 global risks in the world today, not far behind natural disasters and abject weather situations

However, AI and ML are being leveraged to take the battle against cyber attacks up a notch. The future of artificial intelligence will see cybersecurity being taken off the hands of human resources and automated to achieve more efficient results in real-time.

How AI and Machine Learning Affects Cybersecurity

Detection of Anomalies

Before prevention comes detection– and that was one of the many failings of a human-based security force that couldn’t keep up with increasingly complex digital threats. Deep learning and access to databases spanning decades have made AI and ML capable of detecting anomalies in existing systems and tracing sources, whether internal or external.

Pre-emption of Strikes

AI and ML are crucial in the continuous battle against cyberattacks. That said, they’re also instruments used by hackers to conduct strikes. In a case of fighting fire with fire, AI and ML can be leveraged to pre-empt such strikes to identify vulnerabilities and identify threats in services from as basic as emails to as confidential as financial transactions.

Prediction of Threats

As any Machine Learning course would teach, pattern prediction is a perk of AI and ML that can be used in achieving cybersecurity targets and maintaining defenses against breaches. Emerging technologies such as these can successfully predict the likelihood and type of future threats as well as identifying the source to take preventative measures. The same logic can be implemented internally, to analyze internal systems and close up loopholes and weak links.

Improvement of Biometric Authentication

Gone are the days when passwords and swipe patterns were the most innovative authentication technology could get. Biometric authentication is the new norm– think face ID, fingerprint technology– but inaccuracies and failings were always a concern. Today, developers are leveraging AI and machine learning to rid biometric authentication of its imperfections to make it more stable, reliable and more difficult to hack. This is crucial because biometric authentication affects so much more than cellphones and email addresses– it’s used for ID verification, financial authentication and more. Therefore, the stakes are much higher.

Management of Vulnerabilities

In the days when security was largely relegated to antivirus software and human resources, vulnerabilities would be manipulated and turned into a threat or an outright attack before measures were taken. In contrast, AI and ML allow firms to identify and manage their vulnerabilities well in advance so that the approach is preventative rather than scrambling for a cure. AI and ML use a plethora of combinations and tactics to identify these vulnerabilities, such as:

  • Dark web leads
  • Hacker discussions or threats
  • Threat patterns
  • Frequently targeted systems or divisions
  • Risks and losses at hand

By effectively leveraging emerging technologies, firms can meet cyber-threats head-on, even strike pre-emptively, instead of dealing with thousands of dollars’ worth of losses and bills in the cleanup.

Does Companies Hire Data Analyst Freshers? What Are The Criteria For Selection?

Last Updated on 5 years ago by Imarticus Learning

Data Analysis is a science of collection of data and converting it into useful information in order to develop a better business strategy. Data Analyst training involves the learning of the required tools and language, a well-developed analytical sense and statistical knowledge.

This is quite crucial in the fast-paced world we live in today. Here the role of a data analyst is vital, as various business plans are structured based on the findings. Defining a certain range of products, the customers’ needs and current demand, various trends in market strategy and the areas of improvements required. 

While the field of data analysis might appear to be quite sophisticated, surprisingly, there is a wide chance for the freshers to acquire a job in the relevant company. Having a high GPA from a data analysis program is quite helpful for a basic-level job as a data analyst.

For the others, a basic degree in Statistics, Mathematics, Economics from a well-known University is also acceptable for a Data Analyst career in the beginning. For a fresher to land a job in data analysis, a bachelor’s degree is mandatory. As you proceed up the hierarchy of the job ladder, you will be paid in better terms. For this, you might want to get a master’s or a doctoral degree in Data Science or Business analytics. 

So, once you have understood that being a fresher is not a hindrance in your quest for a data analyst career, there are a few skills to develop as well:

 

  • High-Level Skills in Mathematical Ability

 

At the entry-level job, good maths skills can be quite impressive. Statistics and grip over formulae are necessary for translating the data analyzed into a real-world value system. In short, Maths helps you interpret your results to a more common language. This holds true, for a data analyst as well. When it comes to calculating compound Interest, statistical measurement, and depreciation. Also, as a fresher, the college-level Algebra is of huge help in making the visualizations more attractive.

 

  • Learning Programming Languages

 

For a better chance of a data analyst career, it is important to be well-versed in at least one programming language. These include Python, R, C++, PHP, MATLAB, JAVA.

However, the more programming languages you know, the better are your chances at a good job. 

 

  • DATA Manipulation and Management

 

One of the major skills as a successful data analyst is to be able to build relevant queries in order to extract the required data. For this language such as R, HIVE, SQL are essential. Also, having the skills to develop relevant reports after data analysis is a crucial aspect of the job. Data analyst training at various reputed institutes like Imarticus Learnings helps the freshers with such tools, languages, and programs.

 

  • Communication Skills

 

Just like all reputed job profiles, excellent communication skills are important and required for a stint towards a data analyst career. When dealing with clients, executives and experts, you should be able to ‘communicate’ your ideas the right way. 

Being a fresher is not a problem. In fact, it is an asset, as you are brimming with ideas and are enthusiastic about your goals. With the right kind of skills, there is no stopping your race to excellence.