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< Back Hedonic Valuation Model: Real Estate in Zurich With significant portions of banks portfolios consisting of mortgage loans, it is paramount to develop a strong model for valuating real estate. https://akweix.shinyapps.io/HedonicValuationModel/ Previous Next

< Back Web scrapping Box Office Sales A python code used to web scrape data from Box Office Mojo's Website. The objective at hand is to attain weekend box office sales in order to test a correlation of Sci -fi movies and Tech stock prices. Thus, a python code was developed to web scrape data from Box Office Mojo's Website in a manner that that shows the Top 10 box office sales for each weekend. Additionally, using OMDb API , the genre for each movie was found. Significant aspects of the code developed was based on a similair project by Jonathan Bown on Kaggle *My actual API key from OMDb API has been removed in the code below import requests from bs4 import BeautifulSoup import pandas as pd from google.colab import files import re def scrape_weekend_box_office(weekend_url): response = requests.get(weekend_url) soup = BeautifulSoup(response.text, 'html.parser') table = soup.find('table') if not table: return [] rows = table.findAll('tr')[1:] movies_data = [] for row in rows[:10]: cols = row.findAll('td') if cols and len(cols) > 3: movie_name = cols[2].get_text(strip=True) weekend_gross = cols[3].get_text(strip=True) movies_data.append((movie_name, weekend_gross)) return movies_data def check_genre(movie_name, api_key): params = {'t': movie_name, 'apikey': api_key} response = requests.get('http://www.omdbapi.com/', params=params) data = response.json() if 'Genre' in data: genres = [genre.strip().lower() for genre in data['Genre'].split(',')] return 1 if any(genre in genres for genre in ['sci-fi', 'fantasy', 'action']) else 0 return 0 def scrape_year_weekends(year, api_key): base_url = f'https://www.boxofficemojo.com/weekend/by-year/{year}/' response = requests.get(base_url) soup = BeautifulSoup(response.text, 'html.parser') links = soup.select('td.a-text-left a') all_data = [] seen_weekends = set() genre_cache = {} for link in links: weekend = link.get_text(strip=True) weekend_link = 'https://www.boxofficemojo.com' + link['href'].split('?')[0] match = re.search(r'(\d{4})W(\d+)', weekend_link) if match and weekend_link not in seen_weekends: seen_weekends.add(weekend_link) weekend_number = match.group(2) top_movies = scrape_weekend_box_office(weekend_link) for rank, (movie_name, weekend_gross) in enumerate(top_movies, start=1): if movie_name not in genre_cache: genre_indicator = check_genre(movie_name, api_key) genre_cache[movie_name] = genre_indicator else: genre_indicator = genre_cache[movie_name] all_data.append({ 'weekend_number': int(weekend_number), 'weekend': weekend, 'rank': rank, 'movie_name': movie_name, 'weekend_gross': weekend_gross, 'is_action_sci_fi_or_fantasy': genre_indicator }) return all_data omdb_api_key = ' ' # Replace with actual OMDb API key year = 2019 data = scrape_year_weekends(year, omdb_api_key) df = pd.DataFrame(data) df.drop_duplicates(subset=['weekend_number', 'rank'], inplace=True) df.sort_values(by=['weekend_number', 'rank'], inplace=True) csv_file = f'weekend_box_office_{year}.csv' df.to_csv(csv_file, index=False) files.download(csv_file) Previous Next

< Back Commentary: Ghana fixes new cocoa price to control smuggling An economic commentary on the Article, "Ghana fixes new cocoa price to control smuggling" Date the commentary was written: 0 6/ 12 /2015 Read the original article on Theafricareport.com : Ghana fixes new cocoa price to control smuggling | West Africa by Dasmani Laary - 05.10.2015 The article under consideration is about an increase in the fixed price of cocoa in Ghana in order to curb the smuggling of cocoa into Ivory Coast. Ivory Coast and Ghana share a boarder cutting through their respective cocoa plantations hence, smuggling easily occurs. The article is also about a subsidy granted to the cocoa farmers to raise their output. The Ghanaian government imposed a higher fixed price of cocoa, this can viewed as the government imposing a higher minimum price on cocoa as the fixed price is above the equilibrium price. A fixed price is a market price imposed by the government and producers are only allowed to sell at exactly that price. Cocoa Board is a government-controlled institution, fixes the buying price for cocoa in Ghana. Thus the cocoa market in Ghana is planned. The price-fixing is to protect cocoa farmers from volatile prices on the world market as the article says. From the article under consideration, the new fixed price of cocoa per ton is $1759 is an increase from the former $1444. This increase would prevent cocoa farmers from smuggling their cocoa to Ivory Coast to sell it at the once better price of $1718 per ton. Price elasticity of demand or supply refers to the responsiveness of quantity demanded or quantity supplied due to a change in price. The price elasticity of demand for cocoa is relatively elastic as Ivorian (and South American cocoa) are perfect substitutes. The supply of Ghanaian cocoa is also elastic because of the smuggling of cocoa between Ghana and Ivory Coast which depends on price hence in effect affects the supply of Ghanaian cocoa positively or negatively. So if the price is high in Ghana (higher than Ivory Coast Cocoa) smuggling from Ghana to Ivory Coast would be curbed and rather cocoa grown in Ivory Coast would be smuggled into Ghana hence increasing the supplied quantity of Ghanaian Cocoa. The effect of increasing the fixed price is shown on this diagram: Figure 1: Increasing the fixed price As a result of this increase in quantity supplied there would be an excess supply (QS1 to QS2) of Ghanaian cocoa. However cocoa can be stored for a long time without losing its quality, but the government would then need to spend more on storage facilities (as the article makes reference to warehouses being built). An increase in the fixed price would also make Ghanaian cocoa less competitive globally, as Ivorian cocoa (and South American cocoa) would be winning the price war. This may be prove costly and highly inefficient for the Ghanaian government as 15% of their GDP alone is from cocoa. However the aim of increasing the fixed price was to curb the smuggling of cocoa to Ivory Coast from Ghana and this action would achieve this aim. But not only would the policy do so, but it would also stimulate the smuggling of cocoa from Ivory Coast to Ghana, reversing the tables. Although I have discussed the decrease in international competitiveness of Ghanaian cocoa (as PED is relatively elastic) that does not necessarily mean there shall be a decrease in revenue. Firstly at the old and new fixed price are relatively higher than the equilibrium price, hence PED may be inelastic at those high prices. Also, due to multiple contracts and deals in place with cocoa processing firms, Ghanaian farmers would still be able to sell to their previous customers for example Nestle. Not only that, but as there would be a higher supply of cocoa from Ghana, Ghanaian farmers would be able to meet their contract obligations with those cocoa processing firms whereas due to the reduction in cocoa in Ivory Coast, Ivorian farmers may not meet their obligations hence their deals and contracts would be passed on to Ghanaian firms In a bid to further increase the supply of cocoa in Ghana (as the article refers to the targeted 900,000 tones output for the 2015/2016 which is an increase from the actual 700,000 output of the previous year) the government is giving cocoa farmers a subsidy. The bonus of 5 cedi per bag of 64 kilogrammes, is a subsidy per unit. A subsidy is financial aid given to producers by the government in order to decrease their cost of production and in effect increase their total output. The effect of a subsidy is shown in Figure 2; F igure 2: Effect of subsidy in the Ghanaian Cocoa Market As illustrated in Figure 2 producers (Ghanaian farmers) would have a higher revenue due the subsidy, however the Ghanaian government would have to pay a lot for this subsidy. Either way, this decreases the cost of production for farmers and in effect are able to produce more cocoa. The combination of the two policies discussed in this paper is simply going to lead to a very large increase in supply of cocoa in Ghana. However this may not be so beneficial for all stakeholders. Initially farmers may enjoy larger incomes, but may have to eventually sell off the cocoa in excess supply at a lower price due to expensive storage. Government expenditure would increase due to the subsidy and the stabilization fund discussed in the article. However if the demand for cocoa continues to increase in the global market, Ghanaian government and farmers would benefit greatly. Previous Next

< Back Dynamic view of Ghana's Insurance Industry Work in progress Previous Next

< Back Dynamic Forestry and Agricultural Summary of ECOWAS states Work in progress Previous Next

< Back Snapshot Macroeconomic Summary of ECOWAS States: 2022 As at the end of 2022, this is was the macroeconomic status of each ECOWAS state *All data is in current US dollars. Sources: World Bank IMF Trading Economics Previous Next

< Back Data Visualization of the Dynamic Efficiency of Oil and Gas Production in Ghana A comprehensive tool for understanding the Real-time Efficiency of Oil and Gas production in Ghana https://akweix.shinyapps.io/trial_app/ Welcome to my R Shiny web app, the "Data Visualization of the Dynamic Efficiency of Oil and Gas Production in Ghana.” This web app leverages a myriad of data science techniques, including interactive visualizations, machine learning, sentiment analysis, natural language processing, data analytic tools and web scraping, to provide real-time, comprehensive analysis of Ghana’s oil and gas sector. The goal is to enhance information efficiency, market efficiency, and resource management efficiency, making it a valuable tool for practitioners, academics, and policymakers alike. The application is primarily centred on Ghana, especially regarding the visualizations. However, the data analytic tools developed can be applied to all markets and regions. Additionally, despite the application presenting key insights and tools that are applicable to both the Oil and Gas industry, greater emphasis was placed on Oil production due to its overall greater share of Ghana’s energy market and its more dynamic nature. anum_sean_data_science_final_report .pdf Download PDF • 2.66MB Previous Next

< Back Dynamic view of Ghana's Forestry Work in progress Previous Next

< Back Hollywood Boulevard to Wall Street: Futurism in Movies and Tech-Stock Prices This study investigates the relationship between the box office sales of futurism-themed movies and the performance of the tech stock index. This study investigates the relationship between the box office sales of futurism-themed movies and the performance of the tech stock index. Utilizing regression analysis across three models, the research reveals significant insights: Tech Movies and Tech Stock Index: A strong positive correlation was found between the box office sales of tech movies and the tech stock index, with an Adjusted R-squared value of 0.8263, indicating a substantial predictive power of tech movie sales on tech stock prices. Top 10 Box Office and Tech Stock Index: A broader analysis including the top 10 box office sales showed a positive but less pronounced impact on the tech stock index, suggesting that the influence of tech movies is more specific and potent. Tech Movies and General Market Index: Tech movie sales also positively correlate with the general market index, though the relationship is weaker compared to the tech-specific index. In essence, the findings suggest that futurism movies, particularly those in the tech genre, have a noticeable impact on tech stock prices, offering valuable insights into the interplay between behavioral bias, entertainment and financial markets econometrics_project .pdf Download PDF • 542KB Previous Next

< Back Smartphone App for University Students An all-purpose app for Ashesi students. Project from 2017 Life at Ashesi University, like any university, can be overwhelming and disorganized. To streamline this experience, I suggest the development of a versatile mobile app that centralizes various essential services, thereby aiding in effective time management for students. The university offers a range of services including student support, counseling, and tutoring. However, accessing these services often proves to be a cumbersome and time-consuming process. In addition to these, many students are unaware of the contact details for on-campus emergency services and national emergency numbers in Ghana. In critical situations, this lack of information could lead to wastage of precious time. To tackle these issues, the proposed app would be a comprehensive solution. It would feature functionalities like accurate weather forecasts by integrating with the Accuweather website for Berekuso forecasts, a meal plan balance checker linked with the Ashesi meal plan webpage, and a digital menu for campus eateries like Akornor and Big Ben. Additionally, the app would include a directory of contact details for Ashesi’s various services and emergency services, with the added convenience of calling these contacts directly from the app. This integration would ensure that all necessary information and services are readily accessible to students, thereby enhancing their university experience and safety. Pseudocode 1. When the app is started the homepage is displayed. 2. The homepage displays titles “Meal Plan,” “Weather,” “Ashesi Services,” “Food” and “Emergency Services.” 3. If “Meal Plan” is selected, the webpage of the Ashesi Meal plan is displayed. 4. If “Weather” is selected, the webpage for accuweather (set for Berekuso) is displayed. 5. If “Food” is selected restaurants in Ashesi are displayed. 6. Select any restaurant and their menu shall be displayed. 7. If “Ashesi Services” is selected a list of Ashesi Services are displayed. 8. Select any service and their contact details is displayed for calling . 9. If “Emergency Services” is selected a list of Emergency Services are displayed. 10. Select any emergency service and their contact details is displayed for calling . Figure 1: Flowchart * Due to the senstivity of some information within the app, kindly request for access. Upon access being granted, the links below shall be temporarily activated. Download APK via Github: https://github.com/akweix/Ash-App Download Android App via Thunkabale: https://x.thunkable.com/copy/b63301e1a6082169dd0d9aa036ac119d Previous Next

< Back Initial margin requirement for Derivative Trading A simplified VaR-based approach to calculate the initial margin requirement for Derivative Trading Previous Next

< Back How much time do I have left? - Version 2 Visualizing and Quantifying our most valuable asset: "Time"; Version 2 Previous Next