Daily Financial Curations for 31.07.2024: Earth’s Record Heat, PyCharm-Pytest Guide, AI Search Engines, Active ETFs Expansion

In today’s curation, we explore various pressing topics currently shaping the financial landscape:

• Record high temperatures and climate change implications
• Practical applications of file testing and simulation
• Utilizing pytest effectively with PyCharm
• Advanced SQL techniques for improved data analysis
• The impact of AI on search engine dynamics
• Key economic questions and Federal Reserve outlook
• Recent US GDP growth insights
• BlackRock’s expansion in active ETFs
• Small-cap stock performance trends and future forecasts

Happy reading!

Coffee with daily news

Climate

Title	Summary
Unprecedented Temperatures: A Glimpse into Earth’s Ancient Climate and Our Near Future (The Atlantic, 2024-07-31)	Scientists report the Earth’s hottest day in record keeping occurred recently, nearing temperatures not seen in 125,000 years, raising concerns about climate change and rising seas.

Coding

Title	Summary
Effortlessly Test File-Reading Apps: Discover the Power of Python’s io.StringIO and Mocking Techniques (realpython, 2024-07-30)	Testing applications reading files from disk can be complex. This course teaches simulation of text files with StringIO, file operations, usage considerations, alternatives, and mocking file objects with unittest.mock.
Master Pytest with PyCharm: Videos, Tutorials, Books and More for testing Proficiency (JetBrains Guide, 2024-07-29)	PyCharm supports pytest with a test runner, code completion, and assert reports. Resources include video tutorials, written guides, books, and official documentation for learning pytest effectively.

Data, Databases and Data Science

Title	Summary
Mastering Advanced SQL: Boost Your Data Skills with Window Functions, Subqueries, and Common Table Expressions (Towards Data Science, 2024-07-31)	Advanced SQL techniques include window functions, subqueries, and Common Table Expressions (CTEs). These tools enhance data manipulation capabilities, simplify complex queries, and improve analysis efficiency in the tech industry.
AI-Driven Search Engines: The Next Evolution in How We Access Information Online (Towards Data Science, 2024-07-30)	Advancements in artificial intelligence are transforming search engines into answer machines. New players like Perplexity and You.com challenge Google’s dominance. These changes influence how users access information globally.

Economics

Title	Summary
Seven Thought-Provoking Questions on Economy, Happiness, Fireplaces, Stocks, and More: Insights and Musings from a Financial Expert (The name of the blog is not explicitly mentioned in the provided content., 2024-07-31)	Seven questions pondered include Fed rate cuts, Americans’ wage disparity, youth happiness decline, the charm of fireplaces, small-cap stock valuation, hotel steamers’ inefficacy, and stock market return predictions for 2024.
Fed Holds Rates Steady: What It Means for Your Money and Economy (Not provided, 2024-07-28)	Most analysts expect no change to the federal funds rate. Future cuts in September, November, and December are likely. Inflation is approaching the 2% target, with unemployment slightly higher.
Economic Growth Surges in Q2: Consumers, Investments, and Government Spending Propel US Economy Despite Fed Rate Hikes (Naked Capitalism, 2024-07-26)	US real GDP grew by 2.8% in Q2, driven by increased consumer spending (+2.3%) and investment (+8.4%). Government consumption rose +3.1%, while the trade deficit worsened.

ETFs and Index Investing

Title	Summary
BlackRock Foresees Explosive Growth in Active ETFs as New Launches Target European Market (ETF Hub, 2024-07-30)	BlackRock launches five active ETFs in Europe, doubling its offerings. Despite slower growth in Europe, active ETFs see rising global interest, particularly in the US, with significant market potential.
Small Caps Might Soar: Election Year Trends and Fed Policies Could Propel Russell 2000 to New Heights (Benzinga, 2024-07-30)	In July 2024, small-cap stocks outperformed tech stocks significantly. Predictions of Federal Reserve rate cuts and historical trends in presidential election years suggest potential continued growth for the Russell 2000.