Beverages

Capital Calls: Petrobras CEO, Kohl’s

22 Feb 2021

Concise views on global finance in the Covid-19 era: Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro nominates a former general to replace the oil group's market-friendly boss, tanking the shares; and U.S. department store Kohl’s has some unhappy shareholders.

India Insight: Soy sauce flavours global finance

22 Feb 2021

Century-old Kikkoman recently served its signature condiment to Mumbaikars as part of a rollout campaign. This latest overseas expansion evokes its post-war U.S. strategy. Despite rampant protectionism, the Japanese company offers a glimpse of the next wave of foreign investment.

Danone CEO upsets activist’s Nestlé-fication hopes

19 Feb 2021

Artisan wants the $47 bln yoghurt maker to dump food and water laggards and prioritise higher-margin lines. A focus on medical nutrition echoes the health science push of the Swiss giant, which has outperformed under pressure from Dan Loeb. But boss Emmanuel Faber is in the way.

Capital Calls: Tribune, Shopify

17 Feb 2021

Concise views on global finance in the Covid-19 era: Chicago Tribune sells to a hedge fund known for stripping out newsroom costs; Shopify’s strong year doesn’t shield it from competition.

Capital Calls: Jay vs. Larry

10 Feb 2021

Concise views on global finance in the Covid-19 era: Jerome Powell takes on Larry Summers in the inflation debate.

Thai beer float needs market fizz for top value

8 Feb 2021

Thai Beverage’s move to float 20% of its brewing business has strong echoes of the 2019 IPO of Budweiser’s Asia unit. To reach a mooted $10 bln equity value, it will need to match a bubbly valuation too. But it’s less profitable and Singapore listings aren’t known for froth.

Corona Capital: GDP, Corruption, Norway

28 Jan 2021

Concise views on the pandemic’s corporate and financial fallout: U.S. output growth slows from a surge to a gentle trot; Transparency International flags that corruption and pandemic-fighting don’t mix; and Norway’s sovereign wealth fund sees its tech bets pay off.

Corona Capital: Satellites, Shoes

15 Jan 2021

Concise views on the pandemic’s corporate and financial fallout: SoftBank pours cash into satellite startup; and footwear winners and losers.

Corona Capital: Poverty, Beer cans, Budget hotels

24 Dec 2020

Concise views on the pandemic’s corporate and financial fallout: Hong Kong’s poverty problem was getting worse even before the virus struck; AB InBev sells the family aluminium to cut debt; Whitbread, owner of hotel chain Premier Inn, tries to get its landlords to share the pain.

Meituan delivers food slathered in EV spice

1 Dec 2020

The $220 bln Chinese food delivery group saw earnings rise 374% in the third quarter, mostly thanks to an equity stake in an electric car maker. Blistering portfolio gains only emphasize the bland performance of Meituan’s core business – and its expensive share price.

Corona Capital: Cyber Friday and Monday

30 Nov 2020

Concise views on the pandemic’s corporate and financial fallout: Online holiday shopping hits new records.

Corona Capital: Skis, Italian banks, Dividends

26 Nov 2020

Concise views on the pandemic’s corporate and financial fallout: Europe’s hopes for a common ski policy hit a mogul; Italian lender Credito Valtellinese faces a lonely bidding war; Aviva’s payout cut is less stingy than it looks.

Corona Capital: GM earnings, Third-quarter readout

5 Nov 2020

Concise views on the pandemic’s corporate and financial fallout: General Motors swerves around Covid-19 potholes; and U.S. companies look to have emerged from a difficult three months in better shape than expected.

Corona Capital: Ferrari, E-commerce, Fox

3 Nov 2020

Concise views on the pandemic’s corporate and financial fallout: Ferrari leaves its auto rivals in the dust; Russia’s online marketplace Ozon heads for a New York IPO; and Fox avoids the virus-induced advertising drought.

Pandemic complicates AB InBev’s debt rehab

29 Oct 2020

The $93 billion brewer canned its interim dividend but its ideal leverage of 2 times EBITDA remains out of reach. CEO Carlos Brito is expected to step down soon, his successor will need cash to invest in brands hit by Covid-19. Selling another chunk of the Asian unit would help.

Corona Capital: Drugmaker’s pick-me-up, Golf M&A

28 Oct 2020

Concise views on the pandemic’s corporate and financial fallout: Drugmaker GSK sees a recovery in vaccinations against old-school ailments; meanwhile Covid-19 turns out to be a handy driver when it comes to golf-related dealmaking.

Corona Capital: Binge-watching, Gaming

27 Oct 2020

Concise views on the pandemic’s corporate and financial fallout: Streaming viewers like to binge-watch, but they are being stingy; a fresh surge of Covid-19 cases could be a boon for gaming developers.

Moutai’s charitable turn will be real market drag

27 Oct 2020

The Chinese liquor champion’s mediocre third-quarter results shaved $14 bln from its market cap on Monday. The $309 bln index heavyweight is giving handouts to local governments even as state investors dump shares the company gave them. Worse, there’s probably more to come.

Wicked big Dunkin’ deal more saccharine than sweet

26 Oct 2020

The Massachusetts coffee-and-donuts chain looks set to be gobbled up by Arby’s-and-Sonic owner Inspire Brands for $9 bln. Dunkin’ weathered the pandemic well enough. But the valuation is as gut-busting as one of its French crullers, and restaurant roll-ups are light on synergies.

Coke bottler serves up flat cross-border deal

26 Oct 2020

Europe’s main distributor of the iconic soda offered $6.2 bln for its Aussie peer, hoping to tap fizzier markets and expand beyond Coke. Though Coca-Cola is taking a discount for part of its 31% stake in the target, scant synergies fail to justify the premium for other investors.