Month: September 2017

Activist has fighting chance with China’s Sina

19 Sep 2017

U.S. hedge fund Aristeia is going after the $8 bln Chinese web company. Sina looks like a good target: it is clearly undervalued and its boss is not protected by super-voting shares. A big stake in microblogging affiliate Weibo offers some straightforward ways to create value.

Climate-investing deal targets sustainable returns

18 Sep 2017

London-based Impax’s purchase of U.S. rival Pax stacks up financially and creates one of world’s largest climate-change specialist investors - with $13 bln in assets. Rising environmental risks should heat up demand for such funds, but also draw competition from bigger players.

Pirelli IPO leaves long-term questions unanswered

18 Sep 2017

The Italian tyremaker, sold to ChemChina in 2015, is seeking to raise up to $4 bln in a listing. A shift towards luxury tyres has boosted sales and margins. But growth targets look ambitious and there is no clarity on who will succeed long-term boss Marco Tronchetti Provera.

Jes Staley’s share price misery is undeserved

18 Sep 2017

Though the Barclays CEO has delivered on his targets the bank’s shares are down 16 pct this year, making it the UK’s worst-performing major lender. Self-inflicted regulatory and litigation worries haven’t helped. But concerns about headwinds in the U.S. and Britain are overdone.

Northrop plays on global angst with $7.8 bln deal

18 Sep 2017

The drone and B2 bomber maker is going ballistic by buying missile and satellite maker Orbital. Cost savings fall short of covering the all-cash deal’s premium. But with tensions growing over North Korea’s nuclear threat, the target’s interceptor business may be set to rocket.

U.S. electricity grid is a Category 5 problem

18 Sep 2017

Hurricane Irma left much of Florida without power after ripping down transmission lines. Burying cables is one fix, if time-consuming. But storms are just one catastrophe threatening the nation’s aging electricity infrastructure. Upgrading it could cost as much as $2 trillion.

Roku IPO warrants swimming against stream

18 Sep 2017

The TV-gadget maker may capitalize further on the cord-cutting trend. Some 15 mln accounts are helping grow revenue and reshape the business model. A $1.3 bln valuation is lofty, though, if TiVo and Pandora are guides. Elusive profit and a dual-class structure are also turnoffs.

Asian bid for Pret A Manger won’t cut the mustard

18 Sep 2017

Filipino fast-food joint Jollibee is eyeing the fancy sandwich chain, says Reuters, potentially uniting Chickenjoy buckets and posh ploughman’s baguettes. But a mooted price of more than $1 bln looks far too downmarket. It might need to double that to derail Pret’s IPO plans.

Qatar jet deal a win for BAE but a loss for London

18 Sep 2017

A deal to buy Typhoon fighter jets will secure thousands of UK manufacturing jobs. But building stronger defence ties with the sheikhdom is a risk when its squabble with Saudi Arabia is unresolved. That could backfire if the kingdom reacts by vetoing a London listing for Aramco.

Paris fashion IPO will struggle for luxe valuation

18 Sep 2017

SMCP, the French owner of the Sandro and Maje labels, is planning a listing. Pitched between luxury and the high street, the Chinese-owned group has sales growth and an efficient supply chain to rival retail leader Zara. But its smaller size and high debt will weigh on its worth.

Breakdown: Colour-coding Germany’s election

18 Sep 2017

GroKo, black-green or Jamaica? Angela Merkel is almost certain to win a fourth term, but the race to be her partner is wide open. The outcome matters for Germany – and for Europe. Breakingviews decodes the colourful jargon, and looks at the consequences of different outcomes.

Fosun beats the odds with revamped Indian deal

18 Sep 2017

The Chinese conglomerate’s drug unit will buy a smaller 74 pct of KKR-backed Gland Pharma for $1.1 bln. That shows Beijing is still open to sensible foreign deals. And despite a recent border spat, India is open to Chinese money, especially if deals are carefully structured.

China’s drugmakers boast Big Pharma option value

18 Sep 2017

The U.S. listing of Zai Lab highlights a new breed of innovative eastern upstarts specializing in drugs made from living cells. Some have already won financial backing by Western rivals. It is one reason to believe China can produce the world’s next blockbuster drug.

Next SoFi CEO needs both social and finance skills

15 Sep 2017

The foolish plan to keep founder Mike Cagney around amid a sex scandal has ended quickly. Whoever steps in will have to clean up the culture quickly. Growth targets also should be revisited at SoFi, last valued at $4.3 bln. Picking a woman with this talent mix might help, too.

Exxon’s M&A machine faces Permian dilemma

15 Sep 2017

Buying a West Texas driller is the quickest way for the $337 bln oil giant to catch up with peers on replacing reserves. Valuations have fallen a third or more while Exxon’s remains steady. The trick for CEO Darren Woods is to find enough cost cuts to justify paying a premium.

Review: Dalio writes ultimate baby boomer’s guide

15 Sep 2017

The Bridgewater founder is true to his generation. He wants you to decide what you want and help you get it. To that end he offers his life and work principles – all 525 of them. It's a bid for immortality, like the algorithm he's designing to run his $160 bln hedge fund.

Lure of scale drives Axa asset management union

15 Sep 2017

The insurer may seek a partner for its European fund arm, Bloomberg reports. Joining forces with French rival Natixis would create a European giant with assets of more than 1.5 trln euros. The threat to margins from low-cost passive investments makes cost savings unavoidable.

“Angry Birds” may struggle to float on thin air

15 Sep 2017

Rovio, known for the popular mobile game, plans to list with a value up to 900 mln euros. Though the price is more sensible than initial reports, it’s still flighty for a one-game franchise. Another warning sign is that many existing investors are using the offering to fly off.

Toshiba soap opera employs vast cast of middlemen

15 Sep 2017

The plot twists keep coming in the $20 bln sale of Toshiba’s memory unit, as vested interests clash. The drama may not do much for shareholder value, but the lawyers, stockbrokers and advisers don't want this fee-based passion play to end.

Asia bulls gather to enjoy a justified gloat

15 Sep 2017

Record numbers assembled at CLSA's investor forum in Hong Kong, where the Chinese-backed brokerage made the case for Asia. Soaring markets make the region an easy sell; even guest Steve Bannon sounded impressed. The risks are that China stumbles, or America gets its act together.

Review: India’s rock star governor reclaims stage

15 Sep 2017

Raghuram Rajan was silent on India for a year after leaving the central bank. Now he calls for a rescue of bad lenders, and criticises its banknote ban. His truncated reflections in “I Do What I Do” leave the reader wanting more, but are awkward for his lower-key successor.

AI is the big driver of SoftBank’s Uber move

15 Sep 2017

A mooted $10 bln investment in Uber would leave Masayoshi Son’s group with stakes in most of the world’s big ride-hailing firms. It’s a huge sum, even if SoftBank buys in at a big discount. The strategy reflects Son’s belief in the disruptive power of autonomous driving.

D.E. Shaw’s rare activist shot falls short at EQT

14 Sep 2017

The hedge fund is calling for a breakup of the natural-gas company, echoing Jana Partners. Yet it’s content to let the company first buy Rice Energy for $6.7 bln despite the deal’s flaws. It’s an unconvincing foray into activism for a fund better known for computerized trading.

Blue Bottle gives Nestlé little more than a buzz

14 Sep 2017

The Swiss food giant is buying control of the hipster coffee chain at a high-octane $700 mln valuation. It's a premium upgrade for the Nescafé maker, which is also offloading its U.S. candy arm. It may prove challenging, though, for such a niche brand to jolt the bottom line.

Viewsroom: Ray Dalio taps his inner communist

14 Sep 2017

Bridgewater’s founder thinks his kindred spirit resides in China’s anti-corruption czar Wang Qishan. Both seek radical transparency – though Dalio’s hunt is tied to forging a business in the Middle Kingdom. Plus: Exxon’s salvation may lie in the oil fields of West Texas.

Trump follows Obama’s lead on Chinese chip deals

14 Sep 2017

The U.S. president blocked a $1.3 bln takeover of Lattice Semiconductor. It’s not a new position: his predecessor was sensitive to Beijing’s ambitions and nixed a similar acquisition. With scrutiny likely to intensify, buyers and sellers can save face by rethinking these mergers.

Cox: Donald Trump is failing America’s gun lobby

13 Sep 2017

The candidate's campaign messaging echoed the National Rifle Association's efforts to sow fear and sell weapons. Trump promised to "come through for" the NRA, which backed him. But a profit warning from Smith & Wesson’s parent and other signs suggest he’s not delivering.

Saudi can afford to scrap Aramco IPO plan

14 Sep 2017

Achieving the desired $2 trillion valuation for its crown jewel is going to be tricky. Instead of rushing the job, Riyadh may delay listing 5 percent beyond next year. Even then, political and pricing problems will remain. If it wants money, the kingdom has better alternatives.

Private equity gets a double-dip on debt

14 Sep 2017

Hosts hate guests who dip half-eaten snacks back in the sauce. But buyout firms are doing something similar: loan documents now let them add extra debt onto already indebted companies. Loose monetary policy encourages boisterous behaviour, but maybe not for much longer.

Vivendi legal slap exposes folly of Italian push

14 Sep 2017

The French media group effectively controls Telecom Italia despite having only a 24 pct stake, a watchdog ruled, meaning Vivendi may have to consolidate 25 bln euros of its debt. TI has been plummeting in value too. Vincent Bolloré, who chairs Vivendi, has no good options.