U.S. Election

Viewsroom: SoftBank in the crosshairs

13 Feb 2020

Activist Elliott is targeting Masayoshi Son’s firm for poor governance and performance. SoftBank could appease the hedge fund by selling investments to finance buybacks. That could include Sprint, whose deal with T-Mobile US just got the nod. Plus: the race for the White House.

Presidential loser leaves behind winning ideas

12 Feb 2020

Andrew Yang dropped out of the running as Democrats in New Hampshire picked their candidate for November’s U.S. election. Yet his proposals on basic income, automation and worker displacement deserve to make it to the White House, regardless of who wins.

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.

Buttigieg’s millennial economics subtweet boomers

5 Feb 2020

The Midwestern candidate probably won the Iowa caucuses. His economic policies don’t posit large government programs as the solution to everything, but they also don’t treat government as the problem. His plans to help his generation – not just older ones – have legs.

Democratic caucus mess is crying for an activist

4 Feb 2020

The party’s first test in Iowa to narrow the field of U.S. presidential candidates was a disaster. The confusing and undemocratic process aside, it couldn’t even deliver a result. If this were corporate America, a restive shareholder would quickly rattle the cage for change.

Cox: Who’s afraid of a President Bernie Sanders?

3 Feb 2020

The Vermont politician is set to win big in Iowa and may lead the Democratic fight against Donald Trump. His bark scares business types. But his actions are more nuanced, as a 1980s flashback to his time as mayor highlights. And, anyway, the Senate would curb his enthusiasm.

The world’s most important person who missed Davos

27 Jan 2020

It wasn’t a billionaire or a world leader – at least not yet. But the Democrat who will take on Donald Trump for the U.S. presidency in November cast an unavoidable specter over the week’s proceedings. The race and its potential outcomes are as open as they were four years ago.

Billionaires’ cash wins over critics in U.S. race

22 Jan 2020

Mike Bloomberg and Tom Steyer boosted their presidential poll ratings after doling out a total of $380 mln for political ads. That’s more than twice the outlay of all other contenders combined. But Bernie Sanders’ small-donor approach may well prove more potent in the end.

China trade deal gives Trump a campaign win

15 Jan 2020

Beijing pledged to buy more U.S. goods and enforce intellectual-property rights. It has fallen short on similar promises in the past, and anyway the conflict was partly whipped up by the U.S. president. Still, he can tout the new “phase one” agreement as he seeks re-election.

American election to test Wall Street’s nerves

30 Dec 2019

Whoever wins the White House in November matters more to masters of finance than 2016’s cliff-hanger if it boils down to a choice between Trump’s trade war and an assault on wealth. Breakingviews imagines a conversation among bankers at Park Avenue’s Racquet and Tennis Club.

Team Trump will steal Warren’s tech thunder

26 Dec 2019

The Democratic presidential candidate has made breaking up Silicon Valley giants like Facebook and Amazon a key part of her campaign. But the White House could use a recent antitrust probe to make the case first, and effectively mute much of Warren’s roar.

It’s the suburbs, not the economy, stupid

24 Dec 2019

Most Americans like President Trump’s handling of the economy, which would normally bode well for re-election in November. But his overall approval rating is just 46%. That’ll shift the fight to healthcare and other issues, while handing moderate suburbanites a deciding voice.

Review: Bloomberg primer goes beyond hagiography

20 Dec 2019

A recent bio of the former New York mayor and Wall Street information tycoon was given relevancy by his unconventional bid to replace Donald Trump. It’s a book that might have just sat on the shelf gathering dust but for the fact he might have a shot at the presidency.

Who buys Bloomberg, the company, if the man wins?

27 Nov 2019

The $60 bln financial data firm’s founder Mike Bloomberg is running for president as a billionaire antidote to Donald Trump. Selling out would cleanly remove a giant conflict of interest. An LBO or purchase by Microsoft, IBM or an exchange like CME are a few potential options.

Mike Bloomberg takes bold stand for plutocracy

8 Nov 2019

The billionaire media mogul is belatedly jumping into the U.S. presidential race. Despite his data-driven proclivities, it’s hard to see a clear path to victory. He also risks fanning anti-wealth flames, but his best bet may be to prevent rich from being a four-letter word.

Facebook would be wise to just give up on politics

15 Oct 2019

Over the past 90 days, political ads brought in less than 1% of forecast Q3 sales. But after presidential hopeful Elizabeth Warren showed up Facebook’s patchy vetting, they continue to garner way more in the way of negative vibes. Mark Zuckerberg can afford to exit the category.

Hadas: American wealth tax starts looking doable

9 Oct 2019

What seemed like political theatre at the start of the Democratic debates has gone mainstream, embraced by leading presidential contenders. A capital levy would slow the pace of inequality, if the public mood changes enough. More surprisingly, it might even help the economy.

Zuckerberg grasps big problem with tech breakups

1 Oct 2019

The Facebook boss expects the U.S. to try and dissect the social network if Democratic detractors win office. His argument: Making tech firms smaller would be counterproductive in preventing election interference. He’s right on both counts. That could be Facebook’s best defense.

Election year could be potent M&A sedative

1 Oct 2019

Drugmakers and healthcare companies made up the lion’s share of deals this year. U.S. presidential elections next year will inject uncertainty, because the sector is so geared to policy shifts. Proposals from Democrats like Elizabeth Warren could dampen animal spirits for years.

White House hopefuls freeze out key climate allies

5 Sep 2019

Democrats have outlined responses to global warming ranging from a carbon tax to green energy, along with some huge spending plans. But companies and investors are already pushing for change. It’s a mistake to think government has to do all the heavy lifting and foot the bill.