Social Media

Facebook black box is overdue for cracking open

25 Oct 2021

Waning ad growth and slowing adoption by young users suggest investors deserve more clarity, starting with disclosure of Instagram’s numbers. Revelations about how Facebook polices content demand transparency too. Mark Zuckerberg’s $915 bln empire could help itself by opening up.

Chancellor: Bring surveillance capitalism to heel

15 Oct 2021

Traditional capitalism aims for perfect competition in which many firms vie to deliver goods and services to customers. Social media is dominated by impregnable monopolies that enjoy vast economies of scale and scope. Facebook’s latest scandals provide grounds for genuine reform.

Capital Calls: Green investors, ASOS, Renren

11 Oct 2021

Concise views on global finance: Al Gore’s asset manager finds listed equities can influence a larger chunk of global emissions; the online retailer parts company with its CEO; the startup investor’s $300 mln settlement with aggrieved investors is likely to be an exception.

Capital Calls: Facebook, TeamViewer, Audio M&A

6 Oct 2021

Concise views on global finance: Whistleblower Frances Haugen’s polished rollout is a warning for Big Tech; the video software specialist’s 25% share price fall shows the perils of growth stocks; hearing aid group GN snaps up headset maker SteelSeries for $1.3 bln.

Supersized Canva inspires financial creativity

15 Sep 2021

The Australian design-software firm more than doubled its valuation to $40 bln in five months after a fresh $200 mln investment. Its avant-garde approach includes co-founders intending to use most of their 30% stake to “do good”. Things get abstract, though, at 40 times revenue.

Facebook is a one-trick pony that can still kick

28 Jul 2021

Mark Zuckerberg’s firm raked in $29 bln in quarterly revenue, almost all of it from selling ads. Unlike rivals, Facebook hasn’t found a reliable second source of revenue and says its growth is slowing. Even so, with TV on the decline, there’s more than enough to go around.

Review: The many unseemly faces of Facebook

23 Jul 2021

The $1 trillion social network’s ruthless rise is well documented. “An Ugly Truth” captivates with new, disturbing details on recent scandals and CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s handling of the firm’s growing power. The uglier reality is that its 3 billion-plus users aren’t that bothered.

Capital Calls: Covid fibs, M&A flop, Hard seltzer

23 Jul 2021

Concise views on global finance: Forcing social media to take down vaccine misinformation is a good step on U.S. content rules. Meanwhile, a German real estate deal fails to get enough shareholder votes, and Boston Beer’s hard seltzer sales fizzle.

South Asia bourses face Hong Kong-style IPO test

12 Jul 2021

Bukalapak’s and Zomato’s respective debuts in Indonesia and India will help startups decide whether to list at home. The Fragrant Harbour has proven it has what it takes to attract hot tech names. Mumbai’s stellar secondary market makes it better placed to replicate that success.

Nextdoor may struggle to keep up with Joneses

6 Jul 2021

The neighborhood social network is merging with a SPAC in a $4.3 bln deal. Sure, it’s useful to communities posting about yard sales and missing pets. But it’s not profitable and its model is easily replicable - by Facebook. Nextdoor may be living beyond its means.

Big Tech trustbusters need to disrupt themselves

30 Jun 2021

A U.S. judge tossed out a government suit against Facebook mainly because the FTC didn’t show how to measure the social network’s market share of a service people don't pay for – despite saying it was 60%-plus – or name competitors. Regulators need to rethink their toolbox.

Facebook ruling shows limit to Biden’s deal crunch

28 Jun 2021

The social network won a dismissal of an antitrust lawsuit by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, temporarily sending its market value above $1 trln. That’s a blow to an administration that signaled tougher M&A reviews. Deals may take longer, but in court, companies can prevail.

Capital Calls: Microsoft, U.S. bank footprint

25 Jun 2021

Concise views on global finance: The $2 trillion software giant’s avoidance of antitrust scrutiny may be coming to an end; a new study challenges the received wisdom that American banks do better in faster-growing states.

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.

Capital Calls: GameStop is a SPAC now

22 Jun 2021

Concise views on global finance: The meme-stock video-game retailer has raised more cash, making it look like an overvalued cash shell.

Capital Calls: Netflix, Flackless SPAC

21 Jun 2021

Concise views on global finance: The streaming service strikes an agreement with Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Partners; Helicopter-taxi company Blade’s phony spokesperson speaks poorly to investors.

Joe Biden makes China TikTok spat less personal

9 Jun 2021

The U.S. president revoked Donald Trump's ban of the video app and message service WeChat. Rather than singling out specific entities, national security assessments will instead rest on defined criteria like who controls them. That puts curbs on clearer and firmer ground.

Capital Calls: Uber union

26 May 2021

Concise views on global finance: UK union’s success in representing drivers may hit potholes in the United States.

Capital Calls: Disney misses the mark

13 May 2021

Concise views on global finance: Walt Disney reported nearly 104 million subscribers for its streaming flagship service.

Facebook Trump ruling is step towards consistency

5 May 2021

An oversight board upheld the $900 bln social network’s ban on the former U.S. president, its biggest call to date. As in other cases, it's a transparent decision, but it applies only to Facebook – a reminder that Washington has not yet grappled with content limits for Big Tech.