Vietnam’s stability gets rude $24 bln shock 18 Apr 2024 At nearly 6% of GDP, a rescue of Saigon Commercial Bank is just shy of how much rich nations spent on bailouts during the financial crisis. The fallout will ripple through boardrooms around the world. The Asian country looks unstable as its importance in supply chains rises.
Czech Sphinx may need to pay up for UK mail morsel 17 Apr 2024 Daniel Kretinsky has been rebuffed in a bid to buy the 72% of 3 bln pound International Distributions Services he doesn’t already own. The Czech billionaire has deep enough pockets to pay more for the owner of Royal Mail. But his target’s board has grounds to dig its heels in.
EU bank-saving raid can boost tired capital market 17 Apr 2024 European households have 33 trln euros of rainy-day cash, but not much invested in equities. Former Italian PM Enrico Letta reckons savers could fund the green transition if they had access to better stock funds. Forcing countries to lower tax and other barriers would help.
Why rich nations have to keep helping poorer ones 16 Apr 2024 The world faces many onerous financial and climate challenges. Still, as Axel van Trotsenburg, the World Bank’s Senior Managing Director, explains in this Exchange podcast, governments and companies in advanced economies cannot afford to stop supporting developing ones.
Look out for a return of the US bond rollercoaster 16 Apr 2024 As short-term interest rates spiked, longer-term borrowing costs have lagged. The yield on three-month US Treasury bonds has exceeded the return on 10-year securities for 76 weeks, a near record. If this anomaly unwinds, falling bond prices could hurt fund managers and Uncle Sam.
China is a tale of at least two economies 16 Apr 2024 GDP growth comfortably beat expectations, with robustness in manufacturing and green shoots in others like catering. Yet near-zero inflation and sluggish lending point to broader problems, while real estate’s woes endure. It complicates Beijing’s search for suitable stimulus.
Singapore’s new leader will have no honeymoon 16 Apr 2024 Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will hand over power next month in a well-planned move. His successor Lawrence Wong needs to shore up the ruling party’s votes ahead of elections, manage Singapore’s growing pains as a finance hub, and keep China happy. There won’t be any easy wins.
Middle East is complicating West’s grand strategy 15 Apr 2024 The U.S. and its allies wanted to focus on Russia and China. But the Gaza war - and now a conflict between Iran and Israel - is distracting them. It has also undermined support from poorer nations and boosted Donald Trump’s chances of returning to the White House.
BP takeover is both appealing and daunting 12 Apr 2024 Abu Dhabi National Oil Company recently considered buying its $110 bln British peer. It’s unlikely to be the only suitor. BP trades at a discount to other oil giants and recently installed a new CEO. But UK security concerns and EU antitrust rules present formidable hurdles.
Swiss too-big-to-fail rules are too timid to work 10 Apr 2024 Following the Credit Suisse disaster, Finance Minister Karin Keller-Sutter will give the country’s bank regulator more teeth and raise capital requirements for $100 bln UBS. It all helps. However, there’s no sign authorities will be any more willing to wind down a big bank.
Airbus obsessives have a shaky grasp of history 9 Apr 2024 The $140 bln pan-European group is flying high as rival Boeing stutters. Now carmakers and others are wondering if similar collaboration could help them face down overseas competitors. But Airbus’s idiosyncrasies and convoluted road to success make copycat plans pie-in-the-sky.
Next Chinese trade war could benefit the planet 8 Apr 2024 As Beijing floods the world with cheap green goods, the West will put up trade barriers. That will delay the energy transition in the United States and EU. But the glut of EVs, solar panels and the like will speed it up in China and much of the Global South.
Germany sovereign pension fund is sound but small 3 Apr 2024 Berlin will borrow to invest up to 200 bln euros in global equities to help pay for the retirement of the country’s fast-ageing population. The vehicle’s modest size will limit its long-term impact, but Europe can learn from this blend of public and private schemes.
TSMC’s most complex engineering task is itself 3 Apr 2024 The $625 bln chipmaker has built a monopoly in advanced semiconductors by staying in Taiwan. Now it’s expanding abroad, spurred by subsidies and US-China tensions. Despite higher costs, it can generate decent returns. The bigger challenge will be keeping its technological edge.
UK’s leaky coffers are Thames Water’s lifeboat 28 Mar 2024 The utility is drowning in $19 bln of debt and may collapse in 2025 if its regulator doesn’t approve higher bills. A nationalisation could be the best solution but the government isn’t flush with cash. Unless PM Rishi Sunak breaks his fiscal rules, consumers will have to pay up.
LNG angst seeps from consumers to producers 27 Mar 2024 A few years ago, supplies of liquefied natural gas were scarce and prices sky-high. Extra capacity arriving this decade means there could soon be a price-sapping glut. Big suppliers like Qatar and Shell have long-term contracts that can ease the pain, but only up to a point.
Capital Calls: Shell and Russia 26 Mar 2024 Concise views on global finance: Russian state giant Gazprom will buy the British energy major’s 27.5% stake in a major Siberian liquefied gas field for the equivalent of $1 bln. Shell is however unlikely to be able to get hold of the cash any time soon.
Lower taxes would cripple Europe’s growth 26 Mar 2024 The bloc needs new public investment of about 3% of GDP for the green transition, defence, infrastructure, education and health. High debt loads limit borrowing and spending cuts hurt the economy. Instead of pledging lower levies, governments have to raise them.
Ukraine loan is matter of politics and accounting 25 Mar 2024 Lending the country $300 bln backed by its claim for war damages against Russia has several benefits compared to rival ideas for unlocking support. Kyiv’s allies would still need to find the cash, though. Here is how they could navigate the political and financial obstacles.
Middle East AI dream depends on luring brainpower 22 Mar 2024 An abundance of cheap energy to power data centres gives artificial intelligence startups reason to consider the Gulf. But to become a force in AI, Saudi Arabia and the UAE will have to design their own advanced chips. Attracting talent to the region will require more than money.