Manufacturing

China’s power woes herald green transition strains

30 Sep 2021

Surging coal prices are largely to blame for shortages hitting factories and homes. Boosting fossil fuel imports may help but it jeopardises carbon-neutrality goals. It’s better to bear the pain now from resetting rates and weaning industrial polluters off cheap electricity.

UK’s Smiths faces tough physio after M&A surgery

8 Sep 2021

The $8 bln engineer is flogging its health unit to ICU Medical for $2.4 bln, three years after walking away from the same bidder. The sale is a win for new boss Paul Keel. But for Smiths to warrant a jazzier rating, he will have to work similar magic on languishing margins.

Capital Calls: Cook defeats Apple crumble risk

24 Aug 2021

Concise views on global finance: The CEO replaced the ailing Steve Jobs exactly 10 years ago. Despite fears at the time, Cook’s must be one of the most lucrative successions of all time for shareholders.

Capital Calls: Pfizer M&A, Uber driver status

23 Aug 2021

The drugmaker has agreed to acquire Trillium Therapeutics for $2.3 billion, looking to its broader post-coronavirus strategy; a California judge has struck down a law exempting tech companies from treating drivers as full employees, complicating their push to keep costs down.

Capital Calls: Amazon, Robinhood, GlobalFoundries

19 Aug 2021

Concise views on global finance: The e-commerce giant may open its own version of department stores; contrary to the stereoptype, Robinhood IPO buyers may be holding rather than flipping; a successful IPO by chipmaker GlobalFoundries would bolster the case for an Arm listing.

GE chief accepts the things he cannot change

27 Jul 2021

Larry Culp’s monomaniacal quest to make his $120 bln conglomerate “lean” is paying off. GE’s cash flows are improving. But Culp can’t do anything about shifting tides of customers’ behavior. Investing in GE also requires getting comfortable with the things Culp can’t control.

ABB offers lesson in virtue of simplicity

26 Jul 2021

The $75 bln Swiss industrials giant is selling a power transmission unit to RBC Bearings for $2.9 bln. The rich price vindicates CEO Bjorn Rosengren’s plan to slim down and focus on electrification and robots. That will likely cement a premium valuation versus rival Siemens.

Self-driving is pricey route to car parts future

23 Jul 2021

Magna International is paying $3.8 bln for Sweden’s Veoneer, which makes systems that help cars steer themselves. It reduces the $25 bln Canadian group’s exposure to combustion engines. But CEO Swamy Kotagiri will have to put his foot down to keep financial returns on the road.

European tech titans’ sweet spot may turn sour

21 Jul 2021

Both $300 bln ASML and $170 bln SAP upped their revenue-growth projections. They’re riding trends like soaring demand for chips and cloud computing. But much of the good news is already priced in to their expensive shares. The next surprise for investors may be less encouraging.

Capital Calls: Chinese hacking, Tencent

19 Jul 2021

Concise views on global finance: When the only response to China hacks is harsh words, companies will pay the price; the $680 billion technology giant places a heavyweight bet on UK gaming group Sumo.

Capital Calls: Online fashion retail

15 Jul 2021

Concise views on global finance: The return of old customer habits and muted demand as the pandemic lingers could reverse the recent stellar run of the likes of ASOS.

Capital Calls: Gates split, Chinese IPOs, Telenor

8 Jul 2021

Concise views on global finance: Bill and Melinda Gates agree a post-divorce plan for their joint charitable organisation; medical data firm LinkDoc is among the first to pull its U.S. listing; the Norwegian telco gets just $105 mln for unit hobbled by Myanmar junta.

UK engineer finds limits of responsible capitalism

7 Jul 2021

Renishaw’s octogenarian founders have removed the “for sale” sign for the $5 bln group after buyers balked at pledges on jobs and R&D. The stance may be hard to sustain when they retire. Alternatives, like selling a stake to a trust or the state, may not ensure a rosy future.

Capital Calls: JEDI’s demise, Toyota’s weird world

6 Jul 2021

Concise views on global finance: The cancelation of a $10 bln U.S. government cloud contract shows negotiating big projects is sometimes a matter of guesswork. Meanwhile, the auto firm that pioneered just-in-time manufacturing is cashing in on a chip stockpile and red-hot market.

Pricey Finland pulp deal offers paper-thin returns

2 Jul 2021

Shares in 5 bln euro Finnish engineer Valmet fell after it agreed an all-share takeover of valve maker Neles. Although both operate in paper, the modest cost savings on offer suggest CEO Pasi Laine may struggle to generate decent returns. Investors are right to be sceptical.

Capital Calls: It sure feels good to be a banker

1 Jul 2021

Concise views on global finance: Global deals in the first half of the year broke all records.

Knorr risks a prang in German auto bidding war

30 Jun 2021

The 16 bln euro brake maker’s shares fell sharply after it said it might buy car electricals supplier Hella. The latter’s focus on lights points to minimal savings. Competition from more logical bidders like France’s Faurecia will drive financial returns even further off-road.

Capital Calls: Infrastructure, Doximity, Deliveroo

24 Jun 2021

Concise views on global finance: President Biden’s $1 trln bipartisan plan for U.S. infrastructure is a feat of political engineering. Meanwhile, medical-themed social network Doximity finds riches in niches, and UK delivery outfit Deliveroo serves up a favorable court ruling.

Vaccine vial maker needs to take IPO shot quickly

22 Jun 2021

Italy’s Stevanato is surfing the pandemic wave to a U.S. listing. Valued alongside high-flying medical-kit supplier West Pharmaceutical, it could be worth over $7 bln. But as the virus recedes, sales may ebb while rivals muscle in on its turf, pricking holes in the price tag.

Battery deficit risks UK driving electric jalopy

22 Jun 2021

Britain needs more so-called gigafactories to supply power for green cars, ahead of import caps and a ban from 2030 on gas guzzlers. Current expansion plans may electrify just 20% of local output from BMW, Nissan and others. Prime Minister Boris Johnson faces an uphill drive.