Viewsroom: Who will be 2019’s free-trade champion? 3 Jan 2019 Big economies are throwing up tariffs, but East Africa’s common market could swell to 250 mln people if Ethiopia joins the club. Breakingviews columnists also predict this year will bring the end of easy money for Chinese startups, and a challenge to Tesla from Lyft and Uber.
Viewsroom: Dealing in high anxiety 20 Dec 2018 Equity valuations are in the stratosphere and geopolitical risk is running hot. Breakingviews columnists predict how that’ll affect markets in 2019, from trade-war fallout to Indian privatizations, a Deutsche Bank rally and mining M&A. They also assess last year’s prognostications.
Viewsroom: French misery gives Italy some company 13 Dec 2018 President Macron hopes a 10 bln euro splurge from state coffers will mollify rioters calling him the “president of the rich.” But it’ll worsen the country’s deficit, risking an EU rebuke. It may, though, offer cover for Italy, whose debt load is causing friction with Brussels.
Viewsroom: Trade war pause may only delay fight 6 Dec 2018 U.S. President Donald Trump and China’s leader Xi Jinping agreed to a cooling-off period in an escalating tariff spat. Will the ceasefire yield results or is it a stalling tactic? The markets are spooked. Breakingviews columnists discuss the issue from both sides of the Pacific.
Viewsroom: Climate risk is investing opportunity 29 Nov 2018 Experts reckon unrestrained global warming will lop 10 pct off U.S. GDP by 2100. California’s wildfires prove it’s already having disastrous effects. But investors and companies alike can be part of the solution. Plus, Carlos Ghosn’s arrest leaves three carmakers in disarray.
Viewsroom: What’s next for Brexit? 21 Nov 2018 Cabinet resignations, an angry coalition partner and a skittish currency greeted UK Prime Minister Theresa May’s draft agreement to quit the EU. Breakingviews columnists examine whether the current mess leads to Brexit with an EU deal, without a deal, or even to a new referendum.
Viewsroom: Europe fights U.S. Big Tech 15 Nov 2018 Digital titans like Alphabet and Apple may rule the roost, but EU rules on data privacy are helping startups flourish on the other side of the Atlantic. Meanwhile, Facebook’s inability to police fake content spreads to Africa. Plus: Mumbai’s ride-share drivers go on strike.
Viewsroom: Democrats will rattle Wall Street cage 8 Nov 2018 The U.S. House of Representatives will soon be controlled by lawmakers opposing President Trump. That gives them more scope to push their agenda on trade, infrastructure and a perennial bogeyman, the banks. But as Republicans still run the Senate, policy changes will be minimal.
Viewsroom: Europe faces life after Angela Merkel 1 Nov 2018 Germany’s chancellor won’t seek re-election in 2021 and is stepping down as party chair next month after electoral setbacks. It may herald a rightward swing at home and less EU unity. Plus: investors’ embrace of Brazil’s far-right President-elect Jair Bolsonaro may prove risky.
Viewsroom: The $230 bln scam rocking Nordic banks 25 Oct 2018 Danish lender Danske has already lost its chief executive on news that one of its Estonian branches was used to launder Russian money. Now Nordea and others are facing questions. Plus: investors drive car stocks into a ditch - and Daimler's and Ford's dividends look vulnerable.
Viewsroom: Saudi fiasco sets Wall Street ablaze 18 Oct 2018 Bankers and officials have ditched a huge Saudi shindig after Turkey accused the kingdom of killing a prominent journalist – but big deal fees and oil reserves make the kingdom hard to shun. Breakingviews columnists discuss the financial ramifications of the diplomatic crisis.
Viewsroom: The financial crisis, 10 years on 30 Aug 2018 The crash cost the U.S. economy $30 trln, put 9 mln people out of work and as many families out of their homes. And it exposed how unprepared bankers, lawmakers and watchdogs were. Here we preview our podcast miniseries interviewing some of the movers and shakers of the time.
Viewsroom: Amazon’s JEDI rebellion 23 Aug 2018 Amazon looks set to win the Pentagon’s $10 bln JEDI cloud contract, but Oracle is fighting back. Plus: Is it time for Airbnb to sell its China business? And should Elon Musk be worried about a Chinese Tesla lookalike listing in New York?
Viewsroom: Turkey’s financial crisis may spread 16 Aug 2018 The feud between President Tayyip Erdogan and U.S. President Donald Trump over steel tariffs threatens to turn other emerging markets cold. Breakingviews columnists discuss the global impact of Turkey’s currency meltdown. Plus: A bad bank in China gets whacked by political risk.
Viewsroom: Tesla’s wild and crazy ride 9 Aug 2018 CEO Elon Musk’s tweet about wanting to take the company private is causing a stir. Unorthodoxy aside, its volatile boss and weak corporate governance means Tesla is better off the public roads. Plus, Pakistan’s likely new leader Imran Khan will have to go hat in hand to the IMF.
Viewsroom: CBS’s $184 mln #MeToo challenge 2 Aug 2018 That’s what CEO Les Moonves gets if he leaves the U.S. TV network – unless fired for cause. That’s rare in corporate America. But allegations he sexually harassed women put the board on the spot. Plus: Hong Kong battles the Big Apple for IPOs. And China faces a vaccine scandal.
Viewsroom: Sergio Marchionne’s legacy 26 Jul 2018 The sudden death of Fiat Chrysler’s CEO has robbed the car industry of one of its most colorful – and successful – leaders. Antony Currie, Rob Cox and Lisa Jucca look back over his 14 years at the wheel and discuss what’s on the road ahead for his successor Mike Manley.
Viewsroom: Europe puts Google in a bind 19 Jul 2018 The search firm can easily cover the EU’s $5 bln fine for using its Android phone system to stymie rivals. But the order to stop forcing handset makers to pre-install its software could clip innovation. Plus: Goldman Sachs and Tesla put lackluster corporate governance on show.
Viewsroom: Trump’s Supreme Court pick 12 Jul 2018 The U.S. president has chosen a friend of big business in Brett Kavanaugh. But he faces bigger questions from Senate democrats about executive power. Plus: Commodity giant Glencore faces mounting risks in Washington, and what’s behind the Chinese yuan’s downward slide.
Viewsroom: Is Silicon Valley getting nervous yet? 4 Jul 2018 The tech hub is getting squeezed by new policy restrictions amid a looming trade war between the U.S. and China. How is the Valley holding up? Plus: India's state lenders are losing CEOs. Is running these banks into the ground part of the plan?