Algorithmic trading based on the fear of Covid-19 in Europe

he spread of Covid-19 in Europe has affected our way of living, thinking, and even investing. The fear of the epidemic caused a context of maximum uncertainty and volatility in financial markets, which were driven by fear of the spread of the epidemic. In this article we propose an algorithmic trading system on the future of the Eurostoxx 50 that, instead of following technical indicators, follows the number of cases confirmed by Covid-19 in Europe. The back test of this system carried out throughout the weeks of confinement shows that the system is profitable. In this context, confirmed cases data is useful to assess investors’ mood and anticipate the evolution of the market. Therefore, an alternative way of investing arises for maximum uncertainty contexts, based exclusively on behavioral finance.

A note on what do we talk about when we talk about Chinese Research?

This research note addresses the question stated in its title, what do we talk about when we talk about Chinese research? The article provides arguments for an understanding of Chinese research as a cultural unit, regardless of regional, political and historical differences that can be found in different territories. This does not mean the regional, political and historical differences are not relevant to researchers, on the contrary, they must be taking into account by researchers. Cultural similarities are needed to connect the different types of Chinese cultures, but not at the expense of omitting regional differences.

Exploring the impact of COVID-19 on the taxi industry in the City of Johannesburg

The tourism sector is currently one of the hardest hit by the pandemic, with impacts on both travel supply and demand. The transport system forms a key part of tourism, including the tourist experience at a destination. This research sought to understand how the taxi industry operates within the City of Johannesburg under the government restrictions imposed during COVID-19. The study adopted a qualitative research approach, based on interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) to explore the topic. Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with participants who were purposively selected from the Johannesburg CBD taxi rank. Insufficient sanitisation and the breaching of curfews were observed. Limited guidance was provided during the initial stages of the pandemic, with no formal training. Financial support was made available, but drivers did not receive funds, as they did not comply with the requirements for membership of the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) and Temporary Employee Relief Scheme (TERS) (Melzer, 2020). Illegal full-capacity loading and price increases were also evident. All participants seem to have expressed some form of anxiety, loneliness and uncertainty. Few suggestions were proposed towards sustainable practices and innovative technological means to support the industry during the lockdown and going forward.

The Effectiveness of Social Media Marketing. A Case of Lagos Nigeria

Small businesses are drivers of any economy because of their capacity to, among others, provide employment to the people and the owners. Their extinction will greatly affect a nation. This study focused on small enterprises in Lagos, Nigeria and how social media is deployed in them. The study is necessary because most small enterprises in Nigeria do not make it past the first few years of operation. Perhaps the adoption of social media by small businesses in Lagos may create extra opportunities for their growth. A questionnaire was employed to collect data from participants since it was less expensive and allowed for huge amounts of data to be gathered in a short amount of time. This study shows that the majority of small enterprises in Nigeria employ social media to promote their goods and services. Most business owners confirmed that the platform is efficient when applied in business. The findings also reveal that some enterprise owners are still yet to implement social media marketing into their advertising plans. Some implications and recommendations are flagged.

A Quantitative Research to Investigate the Relationship of Factors Affecting Employee

This explanatory research aims to study an association between the factors affecting the performance of banks working in Pakistan. The current study was conducted using a cross-sectional research design, data for this study was collected from 5 private banks of Lahore, Pakistan. A total sample of three hundred bankers was recruited by using a random sampling technique and their ages ranged between 25-45 years. For the analysis of the hypothesis, diverse statistical instruments like PROCESS analysis for mediation and Pearson Product Moment correlation are applied. The results of the study show that employee loyalty, as well as service quality, mediates an association between employee empowerment and financial performance. Numerous other variables influence the financial performance of banks which are not included in this study. The proposed model guides the management in analyzing the service sector's performance.

COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative evaluation of MSMEs survival strategies in Nigeria

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to the introduction of protection measures, such as: Lockdown, social distancing, closure of event centers, curfew, closure of night clubs and the discouragement of the gathering of large crowd, among others. These protection measures have negatively impacted most business enterprises. This has equally threatened the corporate survival of most enterprises, especially micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). This study examined the chief executives of MSMEs’ perspectives on the strategies that were employed to survive during the Covid-19 pandemic in Nigeria. This study adopted exploratory research design. The study was conducted in three purposively selected states (Lagos, Kano and Anambra states) because the three states account for the largest concentration of MSMEs across the three largest ethnic groups in Nigeria. The primary data was gathered through in-depth interviews which were conducted on 24 purposively selected MSMEs CEOs from Lagos, Kano and Anambra States. The findings revealed that MSMEs were adversely impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. Particularly, states that enforced strict lockdown. This led to reduction in patronage, thereby threatening the corporate survival of most enterprises, especially enterprises that do not deal on essential commodities, like: Drugs, food and health care, among others.

Brief notes on the effects of the coronavirus on e-sales of small and medium-sized companies in Spain

Flexible business models, with strong e-commerce platforms and capable of generating synergies with other companies and local suppliers, are profiled as the best able to face the economic impact of COVID-19 in the year that we are in now: 2021. For the business fabric of the entire world - from small companies to multinationals - the arrival of the coronavirus has been an unprecedented crisis, for which no one was prepared. In the last half year, hundreds of businesses have disappeared, and it is already expected that many others will do so during 2021.

Promoting the Mental Health of Healthcare Workers during COVID19 Pandemic

This paper examines the influence of work-related stress, social support, fear of COVID-19, and demographics in promoting mental health (MH) amongst healthcare workers (HCWs) in Nigeria. Hence, it adopted a survey research design. The results showed that work-related stress, social support, fear of COVID-19, and demographics strongly and jointly influence healthcare workers’ mental health in Nigeria. Also, they indicated a significant independent influence of these independent factors on healthcare workers’ mental health. The results show that out of the demographics considered in this study (such as gender, age, marital status, level of education, profession, department, work experience, and state of residence), only marital status did not significantly influence the healthcare workers’ mental health in Nigeria. So, the government, health faculties, clinical psychologists, human resources managers, and medical practitioners should encourage reducing work-related stress. This should be done by increasing social support, reducing fear of COVID-19, and considering demographics while trying to promote healthcare workers’ mental health in Nigeria, especially during the current COVID -19 pandemic era. Thus, this paper has recognized work-related stress, social support, fear of COVID-19, and demographics as significant influencers in promoting mental health amongst healthcare workers in Nigeria.