Manufacturing

Smith & Nephew faces long and painful activist fix

4 Jul 2024

Cevian has taken a 5% stake in the $11 bln underperforming London-listed medical equipment maker. Curing its depressed share price will require deep operational surgery. While that may take time, a breakup could be a second treatment further down the line.

Bosch’s Whirlpool bet may end in rinse cycle

4 Jul 2024

The German group is eyeing the struggling $6 bln US home appliance maker, Reuters says. Expanding stateside makes sense given growth in Bosch’s main European units is slowing. But its target may be just as tricky if interest rates and inflation keep hammering US consumers.

Spirit doesn’t deserve Boeing’s cash

25 Jun 2024

Separating the supplier from the aircraft maker in 2005 benefited neither, so a deal to reunite them makes sense. Spirit’s shareholders probably don’t want Boeing’s stock. But the target’s woes compounded the acquirer’s problems. Ties that bind the two leave Spirit few options.

Airbus hit leaves investors flying without a radar

25 Jun 2024

The $110 bln planemaker’s shares fell 11% after it said that engine shortages scuppered its delivery target. The group is struggling to capitalise on rival Boeing’s woes. Supply-chain uncertainty is also stopping the wider sector from putting the pandemic in the rear-view mirror.

Boeing is just too big to jail

24 Jun 2024

The US government may pursue criminal charges against the $105 bln planemaker for lapses related to two fatal crashes. But Boeing’s importance as an exporter and defense contractor takes stiff penalties off the table. It’s the unhappy cost of nurturing national champions.

Elon Musk’s mathiness strays further from reality

18 Jun 2024

His latest theorem is that Optimus robots can make Tesla worth $25 trln, or a quarter of today’s global GDP. At 76 times expected earnings, investors clearly allow some latitude with the CEO’s calculations. The ever-odder numbers, however, are now off by orders of magnitude.

CEO pay is hidden factor in US relisting trend

29 May 2024

Plumbing supplier Ferguson almost doubled its boss’s compensation after moving to New York, while $55 bln CRH is reviewing its remuneration after switching too. It’s not something boards like to talk about. But investors might support US-style pay if it attracts the best talent.

DuPont’s big breakup could be second-time lucky

23 May 2024

The chemicals giant has merged, split, bought, sold – and created, on its face, little value. But the centuries-old firm’s defining challenge has been how to shed old businesses in favor of new. A final split to create three simple, racier units is a better bet to work.

Manufacturing’s re-heating leaves consumers cold

21 May 2024

Goods makers are ramping up production, with global new orders expanding for the third month in a row in April. That may lead to an industrial rebound following the services-driven post-pandemic recovery. But getting cash-poor consumers to buy the merchandise will be a challenge.

German consumer is poor substitute for China trade

21 May 2024

Consumption is up but won’t be enough to lift the country out of its funk, with growth of just 0.2% this year. Exports to the People’s Republic are threatened by worsening relations between Brussels and Beijing. Meanwhile a split Berlin government looks unable to launch reforms.

China tests EU resolve on export trade fight

14 May 2024

France’s Emmanuel Macron got little to show from President Xi Jinping’s European tour this month. In this Exchange podcast, MERICS expert Grzegorz Stec explains the difficulty of managing ties with Beijing and why balancing risk and business opportunity is so tricky.

Arm encounters the AI bubble’s ups and downs

9 May 2024

The $110 bln chip designer reported record revenue in the fourth quarter, but investors disliked a less punchy outlook. Big Tech’s AI-fuelled data centre land grab is powering Arm’s revenue and margins. But its toppy valuation means any perceived upset gets punished.

New ASML CEO’s job is harder than it might look

9 May 2024

The $360 bln Dutch firm is the sole maker of machines that produce the most advanced chips for Intel and TSMC. New boss Christophe Fouquet effectively runs a monopoly. But he still faces risks from staff retention, China-US spats, and as-yet-opaque risks to ASML’s domination.

Alstom cash call is just first stop on rescue ride

8 May 2024

The indebted French train maker announced a 1 bln euro capital hike, which was smaller than it could have been thanks to funky hybrid debt. The next job for boss Henri Poupart-Lafarge is to generate cash. A fast-growing industry backdrop gives investors a reason to hop aboard.

The Agnellis’ risky Philips bet starts to pay off

29 Apr 2024

The Dutch group settled its US faulty sleeping aid claims for a manageable $1.1 bln, lifting its stock 35%. The relatively quick fix vindicates Exor CEO John Elkann’s $3 bln punt on Philips when legal worries kept investors away. It may also shift the thinking on big litigations.

Winner’s curse unfairly haunts $7 bln paper deal

19 Apr 2024

UK-based Mondi dropped its pursuit of DS Smith, handing victory to rival US bidder International Paper. The victor’s shares have lagged the sector, suggesting its investors see little value in the deal. If the promised cost savings appear, that view may be too pessimistic.

Remaking Made in India will be a long slog

19 Apr 2024

Despite capturing iPhone production, a $24 bln scheme to become the world's factory is ripe for a reset. Officials are learning the hard way that subsidies and cheap labour aren't enough to lure investment. Lower import tariffs would help, cooperation with China is a necessity.

TSMC’s high-tech stock beset by low-tech problems

18 Apr 2024

Shares of Taiwan's $640 bln tech titan are up 36% this year thanks to its AI chip dominance. Yet they trade at a decade-high valuation discount to peers. Geopolitical risk is one factor, as are sluggish handset sales and over-expansion fears. All look out of TSMC's control.

Vietnam’s stability gets rude $24 bln shock

18 Apr 2024

At nearly 6% of GDP, a rescue of Saigon Commercial Bank is just shy of how much rich nations spent on bailouts during the financial crisis. The fallout will ripple through boardrooms around the world. The Asian country looks unstable as its importance in supply chains rises.

How Boeing’s woes change everything but planes

11 Apr 2024

Grave problems with the jetmaker’s 737 MAX have sparked a crisis. In this Viewsroom podcast, Breakingviews columnists explain whether rival Airbus offers a template for policymakers, the impact of a US export champion floundering, and why others may struggle to capitalize.