Breaking News, Business, Financial and Economic News, World News from EconoTimes

Become a contributor

Bookmark Econotimes

Sun, Apr 12, 2026 10:14 PM All times are UTC

Follow Series

©Econometrics LLC . All Rights Reserved.

Laurence Jones

Lecturer in Finance, Bangor University
I am a Lecturer in Finance here at Bangor University and Lead of the Institute of European Finance’s “Financial Innovation and Data Analytics” research group.

My current research focus is on:

Modelling dynamic systems to explore how they respond to regulatory and external changes,
Retail investor behaviour
Predictive data analytics in a variety of business settings to enhance decision making.
I also have research interests in: Labour Economics, Data Analytics, Stock Recommendations, Credit Ratings, Regulation and policy impact.

My background includes:

Head of Data and Analytics at a Financial Technology start-up analysing the performance of stock recommendations
PhD was in Banking and Finance where I investigated the impact of new regulation on Credit Rating Agency and Bank behaviour and applied a dynamic computer modelling technique to the task (Dynamic Structural Estimation modelling and Discrete Choice Dynamic Programming).
Held roles both in data scientist and as a mathematician/statistician.
The Alun Turing Institute’s Bangor Theme Champion for “Economy and Finance, Autonomous Systems”.
Undergraduate BSc (Hons) in Physics from University of Warwick.

Robo-advisers are here – the pros and cons of using AI in investing

Mar 14, 2024 08:30 am UTC| Investing Business

Artificial intelligence (AI) is shaking up the way we invest our money. Gone are the days when complex tools were reserved for the wealthy or financial institutions. AI-powered robo-advisers, such as Betterment and...

Digital Currency Revolution

Welsh mining towns had alternative currencies 200 years ago – here's what the crypto world could learn from them

Jun 28, 2023 00:29 am UTC| Insights & Views Digital Currency

You can also read this article in Welsh. The global cryptocurrency market has seen a number of recent setbacks: from the collapse of the Terra/Luna system in May 2022 to the failure of FTX, one of the largest crypto...

Economy

BCA Research Warns U.S.-Iran Ceasefire Could Collapse, Maintains Cautious Equity Outlook

BCA Research is cautiously optimistic about the recently announced U.S.-Iran ceasefire but is warning investors that the truce remains highly unstable. The firms chief geopolitical strategist, Matt Gertken, puts the odds...

U.S. Natural Gas Market Faces Short-Term Pressure but Long-Term Demand Surge

Wall Street analysts remain divided on the U.S. natural gas outlook, citing near-term price weakness alongside robust long-term demand fundamentals driven by LNG exports and growing global power consumption. Benchmark...

Chinese Brands Are Taking Over Brazil — And It's Just Getting Started

Chinese businesses are making bold moves into Brazil, marking a significant shift in how China is expanding its global footprint. Leading the charge is Mixue, the ice cream and beverage giant that already operates more...

Bank of America Maintains Forecast for Two Fed Rate Cuts in 2026 Despite Inflation Risks

Bank of America is holding firm on its prediction that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates twice in 2026, even as inflation concerns linger. In a note to clients, U.S. economist Aditya Bhave outlined why the bank...

Trump Claims Oil Tankers Heading to U.S. Amid Iran War and Strait of Hormuz Crisis

President Donald Trump announced Saturday that a large number of empty oil tankers are currently sailing toward the United States, intending to load American crude oil and natural gas. Trump made the claim via Truth...

Politics

U.S.-Iran Peace Talks in Islamabad Pause With Key Differences Unresolved

High-stakes diplomatic negotiations between the United States and Iran wrapped up in Islamabad, Pakistan on Sunday after roughly 14 hours of intense discussion, marking the first direct engagement between the two nations...

Islamabad at a Standstill as U.S.-Iran Peace Talks Take Center Stage

Islamabad has been transformed into a virtual ghost town as high-stakes direct negotiations between the United States and Iran got underway for the first time in years. Pakistani authorities imposed a citywide lockdown,...

Costa Rica Receives First Wave of U.S.-Deported Migrants Under New Bilateral Agreement

Costa Rica officially welcomed its first group of U.S.-deported migrants on Saturday, marking a significant milestone in a bilateral deportation agreement signed between the two nations in March. The group comprised 25...

U.S.-Iran Nuclear Talks Resume in Islamabad Amid Strait of Hormuz Standoff

High-stakes diplomatic negotiations between the United States and Iran entered their second day in Islamabad on Sunday, with both sides still far apart on key issues particularly American demands over the Strait of...

Trump Warns China Over Iran Arms as Diplomatic Talks Intensify

U.S. President Donald Trump issued a stark warning to China on Sunday, cautioning that Beijing would face serious consequences if it were to supply weapons to Iran. The statement, delivered to reporters outside the White...

Science

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

NASA Artemis II: First Crewed Moon Mission Since Apollo Takes Four Astronauts on 10-Day Lunar Journey

NASAs Artemis II mission launched Wednesday, marking humanitys return to crewed lunar exploration for the first time since the Apollo era. Carrying four astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft, this historic 10-day mission...

NASA's Artemis II Mission: First Crewed Lunar Journey Since Apollo

NASA's Artemis II Crew Arrives in Florida for Historic Moon Mission

The four astronauts chosen for NASAs Artemis II mission have touched down at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, marking the beginning of final launch preparations for the first crewed lunar journey in over 50 years. NASA...

SpaceX Pivots Toward Moon City as Musk Reframes Long-Term Space Vision

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has revealed a significant shift in the companys near-term space exploration strategy, announcing that SpaceX is now prioritizing the development of a self-growing city on the Moon rather than focusing...

Technology

OpenAI Addresses Security Vulnerability in macOS App Certification Process

OpenAI disclosed a security concern on Friday involving a third-party developer tool known as Axios, which is connected to the process used to verify the authenticity of its macOS applications. The company confirmed it has...

San Francisco Suspect Arrested After Molotov Cocktail Attack on OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's Home

San Francisco police arrested a 20-year-old suspect Friday following a pre-dawn attack on OpenAI CEO Sam Altmans residence in the citys North Beach neighborhood. According to the San Francisco Police Department, an...

SanDisk Joins Nasdaq-100, Replacing Atlassian on April 20

Nasdaq Inc. confirmed late Friday that SanDisk Corporation will enter the Nasdaq-100 Index, taking the spot previously held by Atlassian Corp Plc when markets open on Monday, April 20, 2026. The change signals a broader...

TSMC Posts Strong Q1 2025 Revenue, Riding AI Chip Demand Wave

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), the worlds leading contract chipmaker, has reported first-quarter revenue of T$1.134 trillion (approximately $35.71 billion USD), surpassing analyst expectations and...

Lumentum Holdings Rides AI Wave With Order Book Filled Through 2028

Lumentum Holdings Inc (NASDAQ: LITE) is experiencing a surge in demand from the artificial intelligence sector, with its order pipeline now fully booked through 2028, according to a Bloomberg report published Thursday. The...