Viewsroom

Viewsroom: David Einhorn pokes under GM hood

30 Mar 2017

The activist’s proposal that the automaker split its stock to give some shareholders a perpetual dividend is a risky maneuver.  President Trump’s plan for skilled-worker visas may make Canada great again. Plus, Republicans face high hurdles to overhaul the U.S. tax code.

Viewsroom: Google, Facebook under the gun

23 Mar 2017

The ad kings have faced criticism over questionable content. Now Google is in the hot seat as brands like L’Oreal pull their digital spending.  Also, Lyft finds an opening as Uber hits roadblocks. Plus: Not all is copacetic between Goldman Sachs alumni in Washington.

Viewsroom: Intel’s pricey bet on driverless cars

16 Mar 2017

The chipmaker is shelling out $15 bln for autonomous-driving parts firm Mobileye, a cool 30 times estimated revenue. Intel missed the mobile-phone revolution. Is it finally on the right road? Plus: Washington bounces bitcoin’s bid for mainstream acceptance.

Viewsroom: Trump’s bad prescription for Obamacare

9 Mar 2017

The U.S. president and congressional Republicans’ rush to ditch the Affordable Care Act is spawning pox-plagued legislation. Meanwhile, Deutsche Bank tries to get its financial house in order. And State Street’s fund managers are pushing to get more women on corporate boards.

Viewsroom: SoftBank deal frenzy lacks hard logic

2 Mar 2017

The giant Japanese tech firm has been on a global M&A tear, but shareholders aren’t buying it. President Trump's mix of details-free policy pledges and jingoistic militarism looks dazed, confused and dangerous. Plus: Silvio Berlusconi's AC Milan sale puts Chinese buyers offside.

Viewsroom: We need to talk about Uber

23 Feb 2017

A former employee accused the ride-hailing company of sexual harassment and gender discrimination. It’s not only bad form but yet another roadblock for money-losing Uber. Plus, where do Kraft Heinz and its owner 3G go after their failed $143 billion bid for Unilever?

Viewsroom: Trump’s management failures

16 Feb 2017

The president's vacillating over firing national security adviser Michael Flynn is the kind of mistake that gets corporate chiefs fired. Toshiba deals its way to a $6.3 bln loss. California's water woes are a national wake-up call. And Wall Street parties like its 2007.

Viewsroom: Keeping banks in the sin bin

9 Feb 2017

President Trump wants to "do a number" on post-crisis financial reforms, but overturning them will be tough. Paris emerges as the top city for financial types after Brexit. Plus, why a legal brief filed by Google and others against Trump’s immigration ban is such an unusual move.

Viewsroom: The cost of jingoism

2 Feb 2017

President Trump's trade-tariff threats and his temporary immigration ban risk undermining business-friendly policies like deregulation and tax cuts. Meanwhile, he has nominated a Supreme Court justice. And Under Armour takes center stage in the battle for shareholder rights.

Viewsroom: Trump’s borderline tax ideas

26 Jan 2017

Two competing tariff ideas from President Trump and congressional Republicans bring merits but mostly unforeseen risks. Meanwhile, any cut in the corporate tax rate will benefit hapless Yahoo and its Asian holdings. Plus, why it pays to bet against Davos Man's thinking.

Viewsroom: Davos goes topsy-turvy

19 Jan 2017

Team Trump is AWOL at the World Economic Forum's annual alpine shindig while Theresa May's Brexit plan has people on edge. That left it to China's Xi Jinping to defend globalization. Elsewhere, U.S. bank earnings disappoint. And Snapchat considers making investor rights disappear.

Viewsroom: Trump’s trickle-down ethics failure

12 Jan 2017

The president-elect's attempt to avoid conflicts of interest while in the White House is window dressing that sets a bad example for his administration. Meanwhile, Trump's shadow hangs over the Detroit Auto Show. And his infrastructure plan is not as straightforward as it seems.

Viewsroom Predictions 2017: Part 2

5 Jan 2017

Breakingviews columnists offer their take on the year ahead: magic mushrooms could be an economic and investment hit, big business will take drones to the skies and Uber's IPO faces an uphill struggle. Plus: Harry Potter's 20th anniversary is a lesson in preparing for surprises.

Viewsroom Predictions 2017: Part 1

30 Dec 2016

Breakingviews columnists from Europe, Asia and the United States discuss what’s ahead, including Donald Trump and inequality, how smaller M&A deals will shine over big acquisitions, and why Disney may ponder buying Netflix. Plus, what we got right – and wrong – about 2016.

Viewsroom: Can Big Oil’s man be diplomat-in-chief?

15 Dec 2016

Exxon CEO Rex Tillerson, Donald Trump's pick for secretary of state, is well versed in international dealmaking. But he's too close to Russia even for some Senate Republicans. Meanwhile, Goldman Sachs shuffles the top ranks and Wells Fargo's regulatory hubris comes back to bite.

Viewsroom: What’s at stake in Trump vs. China?

9 Dec 2016

The U.S. president-elect upended decades of diplomacy by taking a call from Taiwan's leader. But some U.S. companies will welcome his stance. And China has much to lose from any escalation. Also: Italy PM Renzi gets his marching orders. And there's no easy move to monetize chess.

Viewsroom: Is Trump’s dealmaking already working?

1 Dec 2016

The president-elect brought in a rare bipartisan player as Treasury secretary, Steven Mnuchin and saved 1,000 jobs in Indiana. But bigger economic challenges await. And he has yet to solve his business conflicts. Elsewhere, Dallas' pension woes put a $4 trln industry on notice.

Viewsroom: Should Facebook root out fake news?

17 Nov 2016

The social network is under fire for allowing erroneous and downright misleading media reports on its platform that may have swayed the U.S. presidential election. Meanwhile, Canada and Mexico prepare for a Donald Trump presidency. And Warren Buffett eats his words on airlines.

Viewsroom: The President Trump effect

10 Nov 2016

The incoming commander-in-chief's $1 trln infrastructure pledge has buoyed builders and could even help the Fed. The bank stock rally, though, may lack a solid foundation – and Obamacare could be the election's Brexit analogy. Meanwhile, European political iconoclasts rejoice.

Viewsroom: What to watch for beyond Clinton-Trump

3 Nov 2016

Americans aren't just voting for the 45^th president. House and Senate elections affect everything from Wall Street to the Supreme Court. And marijuana and healthcare figure prominently in state ballots. Meanwhile, there's more brouhaha around Brexit. And GE is shaking itself up.