Podcast

Viewsroom: Tesla’s improbable ride

6 Feb 2020

Neither car sales nor the potential of robo-taxis justifies the $136 bln electric-vehicle maker’s shares almost doubling this year. Defying logic, Elon Musk’s barely profitable firm is now the world’s second most valuable car company. Plus, the U.S. elections fiasco in Iowa.

Viewsroom: Over beers from Davos

27 Jan 2020

At the end of the World Economic Forum, Breakingviews’ three delegates reflected on the highs and lows of the annual gathering of world leaders, corporate executives and do-gooders. Overall, they conclude that Greta outdid Trump, and sustainability is now a boardroom fixture.

Viewsroom: China’s latest viral threat

23 Jan 2020

The outbreak of a contagious disease before the Lunar New Year holiday evokes memories of SARS’ human and economic toll in 2003. Beijing’s swift reaction this time, imposing travel bans on five cities as 18 died, is encouraging. Plus: the cost of the UK royal family’s new schism.

Viewsroom: Carlos Ghosn’s great escape

16 Jan 2020

The international car boss who fled Japanese authorities is now lambasting Nissan and suing Renault for money due. Breakingviews columnists discuss why the latest twists overshadow the fraying global alliance of three automakers. Also, why China’s Geely wants Aston Martin.

Viewsroom: Green M&A in 2020

2 Jan 2020

CEOs increasingly talk a good game on climate change, but the financial implications of global warming have played a small role in dealmaking so far. That will change in the year ahead. Also: why the video-game industry should be bracing for a political backlash.

Viewsroom: Jack Dorsey’s heroic year ahead

19 Dec 2019

From banning political ads to developing cryptocurrency plans, the CEO of Twitter and Square has been politically more astute than rivals like Facebook. That sets him up for a good 2020. Also: the different ways that shareholders, the Fed and M&A bankers will tackle climate risk.

Viewsroom: U.S. politicians call a truce for trade

12 Dec 2019

House democrats are backing Trump’s deal with Canada and Mexico even as they charge the president with impeachment. A looming deadline heaping more tariffs on Chinese imports could be kicked down the road, too. The chances of bipartisan support elsewhere, though, are slim.

Viewsroom: Angela Merkel faces early retirement

5 Dec 2019

The German chancellor’s administration is in peril after coalition partner SPD chose left-wingers to lead the party. A snap 2020 election would probably end her 14 years in power and remove another of the world’s centrist governments. Plus: Australia’s colossal bank scandal.

Viewsroom: Britain’s Brexit election

28 Nov 2019

The country’s two main political parties are slugging it out over spending pledges before the Dec. 12 vote. But the campaign is also about how soon the UK will leave the European Union and the terms on which it will trade with its nearest neighbours.

Viewsroom: SoftBank’s double trouble

14 Nov 2019

The Japanese firm is eyeing T-Mobile US CEO John Legere to take over leadership of WeWork. That is an additional twist in an already convoluted relationship. Legere is also trying to finalize a $26 bln deal with SoftBank’s Sprint, another asset in need of saving.

The Exchange: Duflo and Banerjee

12 Nov 2019

This year’s Nobel economists showed that people often do the opposite of what theory predicts – whether they’re in a Kenyan schoolroom or a dying U.S. factory town. Here, two of the winning trio explain their method, and what happens when researchers leave intuition at the door.

Viewsroom: When the CEO breaks the rules

7 Nov 2019

McDonald’s has provided a map for other firms after ousting boss Steve Easterbrook over a consensual relationship with an employee. Elsewhere, Aramco’s IPO and Fiat Chrysler’s merger with Peugeot. Plus: Breaking Japan’s love of hard cash.

Viewsroom: LVMH wants more sparkle

31 Oct 2019

The $200 bln luxury conglomerate is making a $14.5 bln bid for Tiffany. The iconic brand known for putting its bling in blue boxes would be wise to accept the proposal. Plus: Venezuela’s leadership saga and a surreal debt drama collide. And: the world’s most expensive chocolate.

Viewsroom: WeWork’s future may lie in China’s past

24 Oct 2019

Beijing-based Kr Space switched from renting out space held on long-term leases to selling services after the shared-office market crashed. Following suit may help WeWork stem losses. Also: climate change and Canada’s election. Plus: the gloomy IMF and unrest in Latin America.

The Exchange: CalPERS’ Ben Meng

22 Oct 2019

Almost a year into the job, the investment chief of California’s near-$400 bln public pension fund tells Tom Buerkle that size can be a double-edged sword. He explains why returns targets are a challenge and what CalPERS is doing to ensure its new private-equity push succeeds.

Viewsroom: China-US trade deal is thin gruel

17 Oct 2019

President Donald Trump is touting the latest Sino-American talks as a real win, especially for farmers. China agreed to buy more agricultural goods like soybeans, but big issues like intellectual-property theft are still up in the air. Plus: The pros and cons of direct listings.

Viewsroom: General Motors strike runs on hot air

10 Oct 2019

Workers downed tools over three weeks ago, despite last-minute concessions by the U.S. carmaker. Job-security fears are a sticking point. So is the union’s need to prove its worth after a kickbacks scandal. Plus: U.S. basketball plays smart defense on China’s Hong Kong backlash.

Viewsroom: Mark Zuckerberg is stuck in 2006

3 Oct 2019

That’s when the Facebook CEO rejected Yahoo’s $1 bln takeover bid. Now he uses the decision to justify his grip on control and decisions on data, privacy and the chance of a breakup under a Democratic president. Plus: How a spat over shrubbery almost felled Credit Suisse’s CEO.

The Exchange: Matthew Putman

30 Sep 2019

The factory floor may be an odd place to find a musical virtuoso. But the founder of Nanotronics, a near-unicorn on the Brooklyn waterfront with Peter Thiel on its board, is as comfortable tinkling the ivories as he is tinkering with the complexities of process automation.

Viewsroom: WeWork overhaul won’t be enough

26 Sep 2019

Adam Neumann lost his CEO role and control of the shared-office provider after its valuation plummeted in preparation for a now-postponed IPO. But WeWork’s business model remains a problem. Plus: Thomas Cook’s collapse hits China’s Fosun. And: parsing financial climate pledges.