Month: October 2017

Telecom stress can take Indian M&A to new heights

24 Oct 2017

A KKR-led consortium reportedly wants to merge two top telecom tower companies, and end up with 45 pct of the enlarged entity. It would be a monster transaction for private equity in India. The strategic rationale looks sound but fixing a valuation might be tricky.

Review: The myth of Federal Reserve independence

20 Oct 2017

America’s central bank is notionally free from the executive and legislative branches. A new book by Sarah Binder and Mark Spindel argues the Fed’s actions are constrained by politics. The trouble is that politicians don’t exercise their "money power" responsibly.

Tech misjudges how far its D.C. star has fallen

20 Oct 2017

Firms like Facebook used to have it easy in Washington. Now they face intense scrutiny over the use of Russia-backed online ads in the last election. Yet they are sending lawyers to congressional hearings instead of executives. Their tone deafness could come back to haunt them.

Sea IPO lures investors angling for next big thing

20 Oct 2017

The Singaporean startup raised nearly $900 mln in a pricier-than-expected U.S. listing. That suggests investors looked past growing losses for fear of missing out on what could become Southeast Asia’s answer to Tencent or Alibaba. Those comparisons are a stretch.

P&G’s ho-hum quarter a gut check for management

20 Oct 2017

The $230 bln diapers-to-soap conglomerate contorted to keep Nelson Peltz off its board. Though it modestly beat quarterly earnings expectations, its underlying issues haven’t changed. Boss David Taylor is under pressure to make headway with full accountability for any stumbles.

Daimler’s reform drive lacks horsepower

20 Oct 2017

Bumper third-quarter sales do little to address the Mercedes parent’s long-term problems, which include a margin-sapping global shift to electric vehicles. Plans to split in three would lift valuations if that led to a separate listing. But progress is at walking pace.

Change at the top is Bank of Italy’s best option

20 Oct 2017

Governor Ignazio Visco’s uneven track record during the country’s banking crisis undermines the case for renewing his term. Sniping from politicians challenges the central bank’s independence and could hobble his replacement. But even if Visco stays he risks being a lame duck.

Ericsson’s turnaround signal may weaken

20 Oct 2017

The telecom-kit maker’s results were less grim than expected, but sales are shrinking, and its operating margin is still feeble. New chief Borje Ekholm will struggle to meet his ambitious profit target unless he can shut – or find buyers for – its various loss-making units.

Kiwis test new formula in central bank petri dish

20 Oct 2017

New Zealand was the first nation to give independent rate-setters an inflation target. Now a new government wants to add employment as an objective. The less painful the switch, the more likely others will adopt goals that better suit today’s economic and political realities.

Riches and new rules weigh down China Mobile

20 Oct 2017

A price war and cuts to roaming fees have hit margins. But the biggest issue facing the $205 bln behemoth is its enormous cash hoard. That is the main reason China Mobile trades at a large discount to peers. Until shareholders see more of the cash, the valuation gap is justified.

Meituan orders up help to be China’s next web star

20 Oct 2017

The food-delivery to hotel-bookings startup raised $4 bln at a $30 bln valuation. Investors reckon Meituan-Dianping could be China’s next huge online platform. With scale benefits from offering many different services, and this warchest to fight off rivals, they could be right.

PBOC’s Zhou seeks lasting sway with debt warning

19 Oct 2017

The central bank governor is suddenly ramping up calls for reform and warning of a possible “Minsky moment.” With the 19th Party Congress in full swing, the soon-to-depart 69-year-old no doubt hopes to burnish his legacy, and ensure a like-minded successor fills his shoes.

Lyft’s new $1 bln of cash spells gains over Uber

19 Oct 2017

The ride-hailing app has secured new funding led by Alphabet and a nearly 50 pct valuation increase. Its larger rival is struggling to regain momentum and is close to a down-round investment from SoftBank. Uber has the scale, but Lyft’s less aggressive approach is paying off.

Exchange Podcast: Scott Galloway

19 Oct 2017

The NYU marketing guru swung by Times Square to discuss what's next for "The Four" tech behemoths - Google, Apple, Amazon and Facebook. Among his predictions: one of them will be hit with a $10 bln-plus antitrust fine and Amazon will choose New York for its second headquarters.

HP Enterprise shows breakups can fail to shine

19 Oct 2017

Activists often prod companies to hive off promising businesses from boring cash cows. HP’s split shows the distinction isn’t always clear. The “exciting” servers and networking offshoot is returning more capital as expansion stalls while growth stirs at the PC and printer outfit.

Taylor-led Fed would be dangerous in manifold ways

19 Oct 2017

In addition to the Stanford economist's dogmatic bent for a programmatic monetary policy, John Taylor backs bigger regulatory changes than others in the running to be the next U.S. central bank chief. His laissez-faire ideas about policing Wall Street are loaded with risk.

New U.S. approach can better rein in drone dangers

19 Oct 2017

The FAA will share oversight of the vehicles with state authorities under a promising test project. Conflicting federal and local rules have caused confusion, with courts adding to the uncertainty. Combining forces can help regulators contain risks in increasingly crowded skies.

Consumer goods makers poised for the big purge

19 Oct 2017

Nestlé, P&G and their peers are pumped far above their long-term valuations. Collectively, the biggest 10 would lose almost $350 bln of market value if history reasserted itself. A squadron of activists offer support, but Unilever’s earnings wobble hints at brittle share prices.

PayPal’s future rests on striking quadruple whammy

19 Oct 2017

The $80 bln payments firm is worth as much as Amex and has a higher multiple than Visa or MasterCard. Justifying that means renewing its deal with ex-owner eBay, nailing lending and expanding its popular Venmo app to merchants. For now, PayPal looks well-positioned to succeed.

Spare GE jet is symbolic target of Flannery sweep

19 Oct 2017

Scrapping a second plane that followed former boss Immelt around, just in case, is an easy sop for shareholders. The new CEO needs them on side as he mulls possible bigger changes at the $200 bln industrial giant, such as dropping long-held earnings targets or cutting dividends.

Hadas: Time to slay the free market-myth monster

19 Oct 2017

The oft-told story of vibrant private companies as economic heroes isn’t right, and the common tale of the incompetent state is equally wrong. A new group at University College London can help create a more accurate – and more complex – narrative. The economy is a shared project.

ICOs validate old-school “follow the money” mantra

19 Oct 2017

One of the biggest so-called initial coin offerings to date, $230 mln for what are known as tezzies, has led to a spat between its architects and a Swiss foundation that controls the digital cash. Where crowd-funding and crypto-currencies meet IPOs, traditional motivations apply.

Blackstone’s mass gives it gravitational pull

19 Oct 2017

Steve Schwarzman’s investment shop boosted earnings by 23 pct in the latest quarter, driven by management fees on its new $18 bln private-equity fund. With managed assets approaching $400 bln and $92 bln of dry powder, the alternatives firm has powerful momentum.

Verizon stuck in neutral as rivals shift

19 Oct 2017

The U.S. telecoms carrier reported a rise in wireless subscribers. But cable rivals Comcast and Charter are also offering mobile services. AT&T is trying to become a media company, and Sprint and T-Mobile may yet merge. A heavy debt load hobbles Verizon’s ability to quickly change lanes.

Unilever struggle gives hope to predators

19 Oct 2017

The consumer giant that fended off Kraft Heinz earlier this year reported weak third-quarter sales. Growth in developed markets is slow and consumers are fickle. CEO Paul Polman is sprucing up brands, but the more pedestrian Unilever’s performance, the more vulnerable it becomes.

Publicis pick-up the exception to ad land gloom

19 Oct 2017

The French group reported higher revenue, defying rivals WPP and Havas which binned growth targets this summer. That’s cold comfort for advertising bulls. Publicis seems to be taking a bigger share of a still-challenged market. Past underperformance makes it a poor barometer.

Rolet hands LSE successor a triple quandary

19 Oct 2017

The London Stock Exchange boss is going to exit once his replacement is found. The Frenchman expanded and diversified but failed to clinch a deal with Deutsche Boerse. His successor will inherit a company confronting big shifts in technology, capital markets and politics.

iPhone boost is prelude to bumper year for TSMC

19 Oct 2017

Quarterly results show the leading contract chipmaker recovering after a lacklustre first half, aided by Apple's new iPhones. TSMC's next task is to gain a lead in a new generation of even smaller semiconductors. It looks well positioned to stay ahead of emerging rival Samsung.

China’s leaders make peace with its old economy

19 Oct 2017

Output grew 6.8 pct in the third quarter, helped by higher debt, exports and property prices. For all the talk of innovation and deleveraging, the factors driving growth haven't changed. Nor do a few startups signal transformation. For better or worse, Beijing is okay with that.

Taj Mahal spat is a towering political folly

19 Oct 2017

A ruling party lawmaker says "traitors" built the landmark. An official sightseeing booklet omitted it. Yet tourism is one of the best ways to create jobs in India. Playing religious politics with a top visitor attraction is a disservice to Premier Modi's development mantra.