Viewsroom

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?

Viewsroom: Trump goes hog wild on trade

28 Jun 2018

The U.S. president rejected hard-liners’ calls to ban China investing in sensitive U.S. tech. Yet he’s pushing for tariffs that could cost carmakers $45 bln and is livid Harley-Davidson will no longer make EU-bound bikes in the States. Plus: tapping China’s shale reserves.

Viewsroom: Disney, Comcast go from zero to berserk

21 Jun 2018

The Magic Kingdom and the cable company are driving up the price for parts of Twenty-First Century Fox in a global M&A battle that throws financial logic out the window. But does it make sense strategically? Plus: India’s cricket league takes a few pages from the NFL playbook.

Viewsroom: AT&T win is unlikely to muzzle watchdogs

14 Jun 2018

The telco firm prevailed against the DOJ and can now legally buy Time Warner for $85 bln. The green light doesn’t mean that regulators will roll over for other deals however. T-Mobile US and Sprint may still be in the crosshairs. Plus: An Australian bank cartel runs into trouble.

Viewsroom: Are tech investors lemmings?

7 Jun 2018

Despite Facebook’s mounting problems, only a third of independent shareholders refused to reelect Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg to the board. Tesla and Netflix owners tend to follow the leader, too. Yet protest votes are useful. Plus: Chinese stocks make it into the MSCI.

Viewsroom: Who will win the World Cup?

31 May 2018

Germany may not be the bookies’ clear favorite to lift the trophy. But a data dive into player values, population and other factors predicts the team will emerge victorious. Meanwhile, Italy stages an economic and political comic opera. Plus: Ant Financial’s $10 bln kitty.

Viewsroom: America sees red on China trade deal

24 May 2018

Getting Beijing to force companies to buy more U.S. soybeans and oil may help the Trump administration claim a numbers victory. But it reinforces China’s statist instincts while ignoring most U.S. business beefs with Sino-American trade. Plus: has Tencent hit a peak?

Viewsroom: 1MDB rears head in Malaysian election

16 May 2018

The $5 bln sovereign-wealth fund’s scandal played a role in voters replacing Prime Minister Najib Razak with nonagenarian Mahathir Mohamad. Its resurgence could mean bad news for Goldman Sachs and Najib himself. Plus: Walmart nabs Flipkart in a big bet on e-commerce in India.

Viewsroom: What’s eating at Elon Musk?

10 May 2018

Tesla’s CEO berated analysts for asking “boring, bonehead questions” after the electric-car maker reported a record quarterly loss. He then taunted Warren Buffett, suggesting his idea of corporate “moats” is sugary nonsense. Breakingviews columnists discuss why Musk is so testy.

Viewsroom: M&A gets carried away

3 May 2018

Dealmaking is breaking records. But more tie-ups are being pulled. And recent proposed unions like T-Mobile US with Sprint and Xerox with Fujfilm come with regulatory or boardroom drama. Crisis throwbacks and the careless brag-song of Sainsbury’s CEO are sending warning signals.

Viewsroom: America puts ZTE in the sin bin

25 Apr 2018

The Trump administration’s decision to ban U.S. companies from selling to the Chinese telecom giant is seriously hurting the company's business. And there’s no easy plan B for ZTE. Also: China has a new way to measure unemployment. Should investors take it seriously?

Viewsroom: Fintech’s growing pains

19 Apr 2018

Upstarts like LendingClub and SoFi need to find ways to keep customers returning – just as traditional banks are fighting back and Goldman Sachs’ digital push into consumer lending takes off. Also: how Malaysia’s prime minister may be re-elected despite the 1MDB scandal.

Viewsroom: The biggest loser, China or the U.S.?

10 Apr 2018

A volley of words threatens a trade war between PRC leader Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump. Developing China has much at risk in fighting with the world’s largest economy. But American businesses are vulnerable too. Plus: Meituan goes all-in with local services.

Viewsroom: Spotify leads Wall Street on IPO dance

5 Apr 2018

The music-streaming service enjoyed a mostly smooth stock-market debut despite largely bypassing investment banks. Ultimately, though, business success, not IPO hype, is what counts. Plus: Regulators and automakers are sparking up an altogether too cozy relationship.

Viewsroom: Facebook’s multiplying problems

29 Mar 2018

The social network founded by Mark Zuckerberg is reeling from a data harvest on some 50 million users. It will take time for the $440 billion firm to feel the impact but people are starting to slowly unplug. Plus, the world’s largest consumer-drone maker may go public.

Viewsroom: China’s new central banker

22 Mar 2018

Yi Gang has experience working in America. Once considered a liability, that background now may be one of his greatest assets. And the mainland is courting companies to list shares locally, while China’s version of Hulu plans an IPO - in New York.

Viewsroom: How long should a leader lead?

16 Mar 2018

China’s President Xi Jinping can now stay in power for life. Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein seems ready to retire after 12 years at the top. Yet five years may be the ideal length of service. Breakingviews columnists discuss the limitations to limitless rule.

Viewsroom: Trump slaps tariff fear on markets

8 Mar 2018

Imposing levies on steel and aluminum has lost the president his economic adviser, ex-Goldman No. 2 Gary Cohn. That has shocked investors out of complacency. Also: Italy’s elections leave fringe parties in charge. And big deals may be back on the agenda for the mining industry.

Viewsroom: Fraud puts India’s lenders on edge

28 Feb 2018

A $1.8 bln scam at Punjab National Bank comes just months after the government injected $32 bln to bail out 20-odd state-run financial institutions. The scandal may increase calls for them to be privatized. Elsewhere: Will Sky be the limit for Comcast, Disney or Fox?

Viewsroom: Chipmaker battle fries M&A circuits

22 Feb 2018

Broadcom has lowered its hostile bid for Qualcomm after its target upped its longstanding offer for NXP. That decreases the chance the two larger rivals can strike a deal – assuming regulators wouldn’t nuke it. Plus: Credit Suisse shines a rare light on Asian investment banking.