Americas
A.G. Lafley will be more proctor than gamble
Bringing back the former P&G boss won’t ensure the Pampers-to-Scope giant reclaims former glory. His last decision – of a successor – flopped. But unlike the turnaround facing J.C. Penney’s returning ex-CEO, Lafley’s job is somewhat simpler: oversee cost cuts and brand building.
Global inflation slide stirs the bogeyman
In theory, inflation should have picked up when central banks cranked up the printing presses. Instead, it’s slowing down. In the U.S., it’s nearly 1 percentage point below target. Policymakers now have to start worrying about their worst enemy – deflation.
China-U.S. audit truce wisely avoids big issues
Auditors in China can no longer claim that “state secrets” prohibit disclosure to the U.S. watchdog. That should keep Chinese companies from being banned in U.S. markets. There are open questions about sovereignty and state capitalism, but those are fights for another day.
Goldman gives itself near-clean bill of health
The Wall Street firm has made all the changes business-standards enforcers wanted. An activist investor even dispensed praise at its annual confab. Lloyd Blankfein still has to show the new approach can last. But with results improving, some of the old luster may be returning.
Microsoft stages nebulous Chinese comeback
The software titan has for years been stuck in a piracy trap in China - many use its products, and few pay. Cloud-based services like Windows Azure are less prone to misuse. This time there are new problems: fierce competition, and politicians that favour domestic rivals.
Bank governance stigma can be fixed lickety-split
It’s easy to see how Jamie Dimon would consider an independent chairman at JPMorgan a demotion for him. If peers like Lloyd Blankfein hold both top jobs, CEOs only may feel like second-class citizens. U.S. financial regulators could turn the division of labor into a virtue.
Security is diversion in $20 bln-plus Sprint fight
SoftBank and Dish Network have pulled out the stops in their battle to control the U.S. cellphone operator. But SoftBank has the edge. The claim that Japanese ownership of Sprint is a risk to national security is half-baked and shows Dish boss Charlie Ergen’s desperation.
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Apax buyout tailored to avoid J Crew lapses
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Japanese stocks join the global risk parade
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The refining business may yet pay off for Delta
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Edward Hadas: Apple, hypocrisy and stakeholder tax
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Buoyant markets too sanguine on end-of-QE threat
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Apple's design ethos would help fix U.S. tax code
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Economic asymmetry curses costly al Qaeda fight
