Society

Facebook’s four-point defense just about holds up

11 Jan 2021

COO Sheryl Sandberg laid out why the $730 bln social network is on the right side of history, from taking down bad actors to keeping small businesses alive. There are flaws in her argument, but Facebook has probably deflected the worst of the political fury.

Corona Capital: KKR/music, IMF

11 Jan 2021

Concise views on the pandemic’s corporate and financial fallout: Private equity giant KKR buys a stake in hip OneRepublic music royalties; and the International Monetary Fund half-heartedly bumps up its target lending cushion.

Chancellor: Year of extraordinary popular delusion

7 Jan 2021

The pandemic hasn’t just provoked irrational fears; a great speculative fervour also appeared. And the froth of the year of Covid-19 in financial markets exhibits three of the conditions described in Charles Mackay’s classic book on the inflation of speculative bubbles.

Corona Capital: Video rental stores, Conagra

7 Jan 2021

Concise views on the pandemic’s corporate and financial fallout: A last surviving U.S. video rental chain shutters, Conagra’s boosted sales aren’t enough for investors.

Corona Capital: U.S. college football

6 Jan 2021

Concise views on the pandemic’s corporate and financial fallout: U.S. college football programs are in a talent arms race for coaches, a bit like companies' quest for top-ranked CEOs, despite the pandemic's impact on revenue.

Dixon: How to make COP26 climate summit a success

5 Jan 2021

Politicians and markets increasingly get the danger of climate change. And technology is advancing fast. But the climate is also deteriorating rapidly. Here are six things that can be done at this year’s summit to make sure the planet doesn’t lose the race against time.

Third lockdown entrenches Britain’s great divides

5 Jan 2021

The virus has already hit smaller companies and the less affluent harder than bigger firms and the rich. New restrictions to control a fresh outbreak mean a deeper slump, until vaccines come to the rescue. Other countries will need to act more quickly to avoid similar pain.

Corona Capital: Commercial real estate, IBM

5 Jan 2021

Concise views on the pandemic’s corporate and financial fallout: Commercial office real estate is Zoom’s mirror image; IBM taps former Goldman-exec Gary Cohn.

Corona Capital: U.S. stimulus, Japanese pain

28 Dec 2020

Concise views on the pandemic’s corporate and financial fallout: U.S. President Donald Trump climbs down and signs the coronavirus relief and spending package passed by Congress; and Japan's prime minister tries to keep the pandemic in check with a quiet New Year.

Corona Capital: Poverty, Beer cans, Budget hotels

24 Dec 2020

Concise views on the pandemic’s corporate and financial fallout: Hong Kong’s poverty problem was getting worse even before the virus struck; AB InBev sells the family aluminium to cut debt; Whitbread, owner of hotel chain Premier Inn, tries to get its landlords to share the pain.

The Franken-economy that will thrive post-pandemic

24 Dec 2020

The ideal nation to emerge from Covid-19 has South Korea’s superb internet connections and technology know-how. Like Singapore, robots are widely used in industry. And it boasts skilled workers to rival Switzerland, sells high-value exports to China, and leads on green energy.

Corona Capital: Tesla’s Apple snub

23 Dec 2020

Concise views on the pandemic’s corporate and financial fallout: Tesla boss Elon Musk asked to meet with Apple back in the day, and got rebuffed. Musk’s company has been the better investment recently, especially during the Covid-19 period. That doesn’t mean Tim Cook missed out.

5G will zoom from myth to mass-market reality

23 Dec 2020

The mobile technology is much debated and little used. But falling prices mean most handsets sold in 2021 will work on new networks. Post-pandemic consumers may happily pay for extra reliability and speedier downloads. Commercial uses remain vague, but phone envy will kick in.

Corona Capital: Peloton, BioNTech

22 Dec 2020

Concise views on the pandemic’s corporate and financial fallout: Peloton shareholders are getting a little too pumped up; BioNTech’s boss gives two reasons not to panic about the latest Covid-19 strain.

Picture this: Netflix and Amazon buy cinema chains

22 Dec 2020

The tech giants’ streaming services have become more powerful with people cooped up at home. But competition has intensified, and theatres remain an important marketing channel. To extend their leads, bundling box office access with a subscription serves as a key differentiator.

UK gives dark glimpse of pandemic’s next act

21 Dec 2020

Countries have cut air links with Britain, and France has halted road freight amid a new Covid-19 strain. Brief halts are bearable, and may even shove the UK to an EU trade deal. But sustained disruption or less effective vaccines would jeopardise a strong 2021 global rebound.

Corona Capital: Holiday Zoom

18 Dec 2020

Concise views on the pandemic’s corporate and financial fallout: The video call company is removing the 40-minute time limit on free calls for the holidays – a gift it can easily afford, and one that may not be appreciated.

Big Pharma’s vaccine immunity will be fleeting

18 Dec 2020

Groups like Pfizer and AstraZeneca are emerging as pandemic heroes. Their ability to rapidly test, make and distribute vital doses will help quiet the industry’s critics. However, universities and governments also played a big part. Pressure to slash drug prices will soon return.

Corona Capital: Private jet deal

17 Dec 2020

Concise views on the pandemic’s corporate and financial fallout: Blackstone bets that plutocrats will be back in the air before the rest of us.

Corona Capital: Supercars, Cooking, Home working

10 Dec 2020

Concise views on the pandemic’s corporate and financial fallout: Debt-laden carmaker McLaren tries to hitch a ride on the SPAC bandwagon; meal-kit deliverer HelloFresh’s virus feast only goes so far; and America’s working-from-home boom survives the crisis.