The word “disruption” is not typically associated with central banks. But as central banks edge closer to introducing their own digital currencies, significant disruption could play out in the financial system.

Central Bank Digital Currencies, often called CBDCs, are a new form of digital cash intended to replace physical cash. Before I go any further, it's important to note that digital currencies should not be confused with cryptocurrencies, which are either pegged to an underlying asset—think stablecoins—or backed by a blockchain, such as Bitcoin.

CBDCs, by contrast, are just as advertised: a digital form of currency issued and backed by a central bank and maintained in a centralized ledger. It's essentially digital cash.

Why are we talking about CBDCs right now? Efforts to introduce CBDCs are gaining momentum, with as many as 86% of world central banks exploring their own digital currencies. China has already piloted trials of CBDC...

During the darkest days of the COVID-19 pandemic, media reports detailed what appeared to be a sweeping migration out of U.S. urban centers. A theory developed that the pandemic had perhaps changed Americans’ view on city living and that, post-pandemic, this exodus from cities could be permanent. It was little surprise when apartment real-estate investment trusts (REITs) and other assets tied to urban living came under pressure.

Our Mission

In our 2018 survey, investors reported capitalizing multicultural and women-owned businesses at 80% less than businesses overall, and our research shows this translates into roughly $4.4 trillion in missed opportunity. The Multicultural Innovation Lab, part of our Multicultural Client Strategy Group, is here to change that. Launched in 2017 to promote financial inclusion and provide founders of tech and tech-enabled startups with much-needed access to investors—along with the tools, resources and connections they need to grow and thrive—the Lab’s mission is nothing less than to transform the investing landscape.

Ellen Jackowski: You can't really go anywhere without finding plastic waste in tiny parts somewhere, even in your front lawn or on the sidewalk or wherever it is in whatever country that is.

Jackowski: Now, imagine you're in one of these more fragile communities where the systems aren't built to support that waste. And that, unfortunately, is a large part of the world.

Jackowski: If we hide from these problems, they're only going to get worse. You need to just face it head on, acknowledge it, be transparent, be accountable to it, be open to creative solutions and then go tackle it. I think this is a time for everyone to be really brave.

Audrey Choi:  YOU’RE LISTENING TO AT SCALE - A SUSTAINABILITY PODCAST FROM MORGAN STANLEY.

Choi: WE’VE PRODUCED MORE THAN 9-BILLION TONS OF PLASTIC SINCE THE 1950s, AND NEARLY ALL OF IT, ABOUT 80-PERCENT, ENDS UP AS TRASH  -  IN A LANDFILL, A RIVER OR IN THE OCEAN. WHERE WE EXPECT IT TO SIT FOR...

Welcome to Thoughts on the Market. I'm Graham Secker, Head of Morgan Stanley's European and UK equity strategy team. Along with my colleagues, bringing you a variety of perspectives, I'll be talking about our latest thoughts on European equities - specifically why we remain positive on the outlook for European stocks and why the region looks well set to keep outperforming its global peers for the remainder of the year. It's Tuesday, August the 17th, at 2pm in London.

Having moved sideways through much of June and July, European equities have reaccelerated this month, recently posting 10 consecutive days of positive returns for the first time since 2009. This rally has allowed European equities to break out to new all-time highs which, while similar to what we are seeing in the US, is quite different to other global stock markets where performance has been more subdued. Post these recent moves, MSCI Europe has now outperformed global-ex-US stocks by 10% over the last 6...

During the darkest days of the COVID-19 pandemic, media reports detailed what appeared to be a sweeping migration out of U.S. urban centers. A theory developed that the pandemic had perhaps changed Americans’ view on city living and that, post-pandemic, this exodus from cities could be permanent. It was little surprise when apartment real-estate investment trusts (REITs) and other assets tied to urban living came under pressure.

Eddie Slaughter:  My uncle and aunt had the farm. And so when they passed on, it was in debt, so I ended up taking up the loan and that's pretty much how I began to understand all of the injustices and racism that was going on with blacks owning land in this country.

Carla Harris: This is Eddie Slaughter, a Black farmer based in Buena Vista, Georgia. Today, we'll hear about the discrimination that almost cost him his family's land. And later, I'll speak to McKinsey Partner Shelly Stewart III about Black economic mobility in America.

Shelley Stewart III: I actually think that a lot of folks intuitively understood that there was a racial wealth gap and that there's income disparity. But I was, I was actually surprised that even folks who study it and even folks who spend time thinking about it didn't realize the magnitude of the gap.

Carla Harris: Welcome to Access & Opportunity. I'm your host Carla Harris. We're telling the stories of individuals...

A 12 member jury comprising of National Award winning filmmakers, curators & cinematographer to judge 9 award categories at KASHISH 2021. The 12th edition of KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival which is being organized online this year from August 19th to September 5th 2021, spread over 3 weekends will screen 221 LGBTQIA+ films from 53 countries.

Our Mission

In our 2018 survey, investors reported capitalizing multicultural and women-owned businesses at 80% less than businesses overall, and our research shows this translates into roughly $4.4 trillion in missed opportunity. The Multicultural Innovation Lab, part of our Multicultural Client Strategy Group, is here to change that. Launched in 2017 to promote financial inclusion and provide founders of tech and tech-enabled startups with much-needed access to investors—along with the tools, resources and connections they need to grow and thrive—the Lab’s mission is nothing less than to transform the investing landscape.

After nearly two decades of reporting on culture and the economy, host Sonari Glinton meets people who are looking for solutions to the cracks exposed by the pandemic. From how we care for our children and elderly, to what to do with shopping malls... these are stories of everyday people trying to figure things out, and where they’re finding hope. Now, What's Next? was formerly the Morgan Stanley Ideas podcast. We reimagined and renamed the series in 2020. Seasons 1-4 of Ideas (2017-2019) can still be found in this feed.

Joan Steinberg, President of the Morgan Stanley Foundation & CEO of the Morgan Stanley Alliance for Children’s Mental Health’s Advisory Board, joins Dan Loney on Wharton Business Daily to discuss their back-to-school efforts, specifically regarding the mental health of U.S. teens.

When Wayne A.I. Frederick, President of Howard University, sat down for a press interview last year to discuss the importance of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) like Howard—101 institutions across the country that were established before the civil rights movement to serve the African-American community—he didn’t mince words. “HBCUs are an essential part of the fabric of higher education because of the contribution they make to diversifying so many fields,” he said, adding, “It’s a danger to the national interest not to invest in these institutions.”

Morgan Stanley believes such investment is critical as well, which is why we launched the Morgan Stanley HBCU Scholars, an integrated program to strategically engage with and support HBCUs. The program provides full scholarships for HBCU students at Howard University, Morehouse College and Spelman College and is also designed to support their career skills and readiness to help set...