Past predictions should ensure one future result 2 Jan 2014 Alas, not all Breakingviews prognostications for 2013 panned out. Some were spot-on, others missed the mark. But the guiding philosophy for this annual attempt at agenda-setting financial foresight is to spark lively discussions. In that sense, the 2014 edition can deliver again.
Chrysler deal gives Fiat a new year’s turbo boost 2 Jan 2014 Boss Sergio Marchionne comes out on top in the $4.3 bln pact with the union trust fund for the rest of the carmaker’s shares. It ends a messy dispute, avoids an IPO, doesn’t overtax the Italian firm’s finances and gives Marchionne more resources to get Fiat driving forward.
Recovery will only increase inequality 2 Jan 2014 Growth is reviving thanks to massive fiscal and monetary stimulus. The benefits flow directly to property owners, but trickle down slowly to the unemployed. The losses for less well-off are permanent, and there has been little effort to reverse the wealth grab by the ultra-rich.
Small tech best placed to take on Big Brother 2 Jan 2014 The lesson from 2013: there are grievous flaws in security systems once thought virtually impenetrable. Companies and their data need better protection. With many big players compromised, small tech groups may step up and make a lucrative stand against surveillance.