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Hadas: Businesses need to cut back on half-truths

14 Mar 2018

In the age of digital activism, propaganda’s dire power corrupts politics and divides society. Companies too often join in, pushing agendas with scant regard for the full truth. That’s bad for the world. And if politicians respond by attacking corporations, earnings will suffer.

China techie’s $47 bln trade leaves arbs in shade

2 Mar 2018

Zhou Hongyi led a $9 bln buyout of his U.S.-listed antivirus firm in 2016. Now its successor is trading in China at $56 bln. That far outstrips what most hedge funds or commodity traders achieve in years of arbitraging price gaps. Alas for copycats, this is not easy to follow.

Net neutrality allies may lose battles but win war

28 Feb 2018

Senate Democrats and state AGs are waging a campaign against a Trump administration decision not to require internet service providers treat content equally. It’s an uphill legal climb. But firing up congressional and public opinion might nudge ISPs to follow the rules anyway.

Sea captain abandons ship amid choppy waters

28 Feb 2018

Nick Nash is leaving as president of the Tencent-backed tech outfit just months after a weak IPO. His visions of a $100 bln Sea were fanciful. Losses are mounting as is e-commerce and payments competition in Southeast Asia. The $4 bln company will have to chart a smarter course.

Review: Knocking at the door of tech’s boys’ club

23 Feb 2018

Women played key roles in the development of computers, but you wouldn’t know it by looking at Silicon Valley. A hostile culture has pushed them to the fringes of America’s technology hotbed. A new book says thinking differently would pay dividends for women, and the industry.

Baidu follows right script with video spinoff

14 Feb 2018

The Chinese search engine plans to list its Netflix-like arm, which could be worth $8 bln-plus. Outside investment will help as the unit burns cash on shows and battles rivals for viewers. Lessening the financial load on Baidu also means more time to deliver on its bets on AI.

Ant eyes land grab with $5 bln fundraising

9 Feb 2018

New money could value Alibaba’s payments affiliate at $100 bln ahead of a blockbuster IPO, Reuters says. The Chinese group is already huge and profitable. The funds will underwrite Ant’s battle with Tencent’s TenPay to win over outside apps and traditional retailers.

Disney Netflix-with-theme-parks recast looks scary

6 Feb 2018

The House of Mouse is set to assimilate $52 bln of Fox assets. CEO Bob Iger also needs to steady ESPN, deal with declining TV networks and potential "Star Wars" fatigue while spending billions on video-streaming products. The next several years will be a hair-raising ride.

Google’s gray hair starts to show in Chelsea

6 Feb 2018

The search engine may be paying over $2 bln for a building in the NYC nabe. It sounds more a mark of urban elitism than creative disruption. In fact, buying prime real estate like Chelsea Market is rational – especially as new industries begin sharing the same needs as old ones.

Sequoia joins the frothy fund club

5 Feb 2018

The early backer of Google and Apple could raise $8 bln to fund startups that are close to floating, says Reuters. It’s a hot market but a largely unproven strategy. Huge sums being invested by Japan’s SoftBank are probably inflating prices too. Investors may do better elsewhere.

BT belatedly remembers it’s a telecom business

2 Feb 2018

Under new chair Jan du Plessis, the former UK telephone monopoly seems more focused on network investment than costly TV forays. It is building more fibre internet lines and may declare a truce with rival Sky on soccer rights. That should please both regulators and shareholders.

Jack Ma’s shopping adventures bring mixed results

1 Feb 2018

The Alibaba founder’s bets on bricks and mortar, logistics and movies weighed on the e-commerce giant’s margins in the December quarter. A 33 pct stake in payments affiliate Ant looks more promising. Even so, investors can only brace for the unpredictable impact of Ma's forays.

Walmart weighs online weapon in India’s retail war

31 Jan 2018

The U.S. grocer may buy up to 20 pct of Flipkart, Amazon's arch-enemy in India. The e-commerce firm, valued at some $12 bln, would secure a marquee backer ahead of a possible New York IPO. Walmart, which has struggled to open stores, would jump-start access to local consumers.

Consoles power up Nintendo like nothing else

31 Jan 2018

A near four-fold leap in quarterly operating profit to $1.1 bln accentuates the popularity of the recently launched Switch. Some lean years fed angst about apps and IP. Like the iPhone's significance to Apple, though, what really matters to Nintendo is getting the device right.

Holding: Mickey Mouse is due trip out of copyright

30 Jan 2018

The valuable rodent will follow other creations into the public domain if Congress allows 95 years of legal protection to expire after 2018. Disney would squeak, but artists, internet users and, yes, Google should cheer. Another extension would leave lawmakers looking like rats.

Chinese tech is missing a download from investors

30 Jan 2018

Baidu, JD and other U.S.-listed firms routinely skip annual general meetings, taking advantage of a lenient setup for companies legally based in the Caymans. Depriving shareholders of this standard way to raise concerns with bosses and vote on directors is a serious red flag.

Guest view: Japanese maverick bucks ROE revolution

25 Jan 2018

Just as corporate Japan starts to take return on equity seriously, a famed entrepreneur is headed off-course. Rakuten’s push into mobile under boss Hiroshi Mikitani will destroy shareholder wealth and shows up another supine Japanese board, argues investor Kisalaya Singh.

The Twitter egg is not a management strategy

23 Jan 2018

The $17 bln social network is splitting its chief operating officer role among other managers, after Anthony Noto took flight to run lender SoFi. With revenue falling and government scrutiny intensifying, moonlighting boss Jack Dorsey needs a solid executive, not a blank avatar.

Netflix cash-flow hole is becoming a moat

22 Jan 2018

Reed Hastings’ video-streaming service is losing cash, but piling on viewers. The $95 bln firm has more subscribers than established rivals like Hulu and Amazon. A hefty content budget is a risk for Netflix, but ensures only the most deep-pocketed media firms can challenge it.