Debt

Exxon and gas markets tell different stories

26 Apr 2024

CEO Darren Woods denies fossil fuels are in decline, thanks to growing populations and rising petrochemicals demand. Yet a glut of natural gas – which reined in quarterly profit at Exxon and rival Chevron – is a real problem, and one that could weigh on prices for a long time.

US economy is a victim of its own success

25 Apr 2024

The United States emerged as the world’s growth engine at the IMF summit last week. In this Viewsroom podcast, Breakingviews columnists debate whether this debt-fuelled strength means that interest rates will stay high for longer and how that could raise the risk of a recession.

Macron wades into a very French debt crisis

24 Apr 2024

Some investors are avoiding the country’s bonds after its budget deficit topped 5% of GDP. Paris is unlikely to require an IMF or European bailout. But President Emmanuel Macron has to bring public finances under control. That will come at a heavy political and economic price.

Swedes’ gaming split is far from a next-level fix

22 Apr 2024

Struggling $3 bln Embracer will divide itself into three discrete companies. Leveraging up the group’s board games arm and splitting out hit-and-miss blockbusters and steadier mobile games makes sense. But it’s unlikely to unlock value akin to the Swedish firm’s glory days.

Telecom tycoon ensnared by his hefty debt machine

18 Apr 2024

Patrick Drahi built the ocean-spanning Altice empire on the back of aggressive dealmaking and $60 bln of borrowing. The bill is coming due with interest rates elevated. In this Viewsroom podcast, Breakingviews columnists discuss what comes next as bondholders get restless.

Why rich nations have to keep helping poorer ones

16 Apr 2024

The world faces many onerous financial and climate challenges. Still, as Axel van Trotsenburg, the World Bank’s Senior Managing Director, explains in this Exchange podcast, governments and companies in advanced economies cannot afford to stop supporting developing ones.

Look out for a return of the US bond rollercoaster

16 Apr 2024

As short-term interest rates spiked, longer-term borrowing costs have lagged. The yield on three-month US Treasury bonds has exceeded the return on 10-year securities for 76 weeks, a near record. If this anomaly unwinds, falling bond prices could hurt fund managers and Uncle Sam.

How Patrick Drahi can clamber out of his debt hole

11 Apr 2024

The tycoon’s Altice telecom empire is straining under $60 bln of borrowings, and creditors of its French unit are gunning for a fight. Yet loose bond terms, and the debt’s low trading prices, lend Drahi an escape route. He just needs to hope investors have short memories.

Swiss too-big-to-fail rules are too timid to work

10 Apr 2024

Following the Credit Suisse disaster, Finance Minister Karin Keller-Sutter will give the country’s bank regulator more teeth and raise capital requirements for $100 bln UBS. It all helps. However, there’s no sign authorities will be any more willing to wind down a big bank.

Thames Water fix requires everyone to take a bath

4 Apr 2024

One way to repair the ailing UK utility is to hike consumer bills. The government could also hose the holders of the group’s 17 bln pounds of net debt. That might make the politics of the sorry saga marginally less toxic – and even give Thames a shot at luring new investors.

UK’s leaky coffers are Thames Water’s lifeboat

28 Mar 2024

The utility is drowning in $19 bln of debt and may collapse in 2025 if its regulator doesn’t approve higher bills. A nationalisation could be the best solution but the government isn’t flush with cash. Unless PM Rishi Sunak breaks his fiscal rules, consumers will have to pay up.

Credit card suit takes swipe at perks programs

27 Mar 2024

A $30 bln settlement in a decades-old lawsuit will compel payment networks Visa and Mastercard to let retailers charge customers more to use certain cards – and to tell them why. As shoppers take notice, they may cool on fancy rewards programs.

Lower taxes would cripple Europe’s growth

26 Mar 2024

The bloc needs new public investment of about 3% of GDP for the green transition, defence, infrastructure, education and health. High debt loads limit borrowing and spending cuts hurt the economy. Instead of pledging lower levies, governments have to raise them.

Ukraine loan is matter of politics and accounting

25 Mar 2024

Lending the country $300 bln backed by its claim for war damages against Russia has several benefits compared to rival ideas for unlocking support. Kyiv’s allies would still need to find the cash, though. Here is how they could navigate the political and financial obstacles.

EU’s spending snags spoil joint borrowing success

12 Mar 2024

Europe’s 800 bln euro stimulus plan is stuck. The bonds that finance it sell like hotcakes, but so far it has paid out only 225 bln euros as countries struggle with projects. Unless the bloc can show it can use the money it raises from investors, it will lose much-needed funds.

How a syndicated loan can funnel cash to Ukraine

26 Feb 2024

Western allies could extend credit backed by Kyiv’s claim for war damages against Russia, and then use $300 bln of frozen assets to pay off the loan if Moscow refuses to pay reparations. The widely recognised principle of ‘set-off’ can help overcome legal and practical hurdles.

Wall Street lives libertarian-lite dream in Miami

23 Feb 2024

Financial luminaries have flocked to the city for a Saudi-backed answer to Davos, a sign that Florida’s rise as a financial hub is durable. The Sunshine State gives the wealthy a glimpse of low taxes, entrepreneurialism and small government. It’s freedom, but only for some.

Rivian swerves dangerously into crowded slow lane

22 Feb 2024

The electric-truck maker’s market value fell by a quarter to $11 bln after warning that production would flatline at about 57,000 vehicles. It joins rivals rapidly rewriting growth-to-profitability manuals copied from Tesla. Grinding down costs instead will be a far tougher road.

Capital One will struggle to cash in M&A rewards

20 Feb 2024

An $80 bln deal with Discover would create a credit-card giant with a Visa-like payment network and huge cost savings. These perks can only be redeemed by overcoming political foes, regulators and the target’s conduct issues. On balance, it’s wise to buy now, and maybe pay later.

Sovereign debt workouts need knocking into shape

5 Feb 2024

Countries such as Zambia are twisting in the wind because of long delays in restructuring their debts. It is harder to get all creditors to agree now that China is a big lender. A more integrated approach that better manages laggard lenders could lead to swifter results.