The Exchange: Riding the high-tech fitness boom 4 Jan 2022 Signa Sports United is a network of web shops and fulfilment systems for cycling, team sports and outdoor kit. Its CEO Stephan Zoll speaks to Dasha Afanasieva about going public through a Ron Burkle-backed SPAC, and how punters are spending big on sophisticated bikes and rackets.
Capital Calls: BlackBerry’s demise is a warning 4 Jan 2021 Concise views on global finance: Life support ends on Tuesday for the once ubiquitous phone's operating system. When cult gadgets lose their edge to devices that do much more, the descent can be inexorable.
Theranos jury draws a line between hype and lies 4 Jan 2022 Elizabeth Holmes, who touted non-existent capabilities for her now-defunct blood-testing startup, has been convicted of defrauding investors. If it stands, she faces jail time. Even in Silicon Valley, there's a limit to how flagrantly founders can fake it until they make it.
Nio’s European road trip will earn bragging rights 4 Jan 2022 The Chinese electric-car maker will win foreign fans with a marketing splurge. While it may take years to grab a big share of the $120 bln global market for battery-powered rides, even modest success abroad can put it ahead of rivals, boosting its sales and stock in 2022.
Apple’s $3 trillion valuation is ripe fruit 3 Jan 2022 Boss Tim Cook’s company could be bruised by risks like challenges to the app store and uncertainty in China. Yet the iPhone giant is not badly overvalued despite tripling in market cap in less than four years. It’s still tasty enough to evade the law of large numbers.
Tesla at $1 trln must do more than just deliver 3 Jan 2022 Elon Musk’s automaker added $100 bln of market value after serving customers with almost a million vehicles in 2021. The shares tend to pop when Tesla exceeds expectations. But maintaining its valuation will turn the focus onto more ambitious and difficult promises.
U.S. Bancorp sails haplessly into political storm 3 Jan 2022 The lender’s $8 bln purchase of MUFG Union Bank wouldn’t have troubled regulators unduly a year ago. But Democrats want to get tough, and the Republican chair of the FDIC has quit in protest. The politicization of Wall Street cops may slow M&A, but it may not help consumers much.
Disappearing students drag down U.S. higher ed 3 Jan 2022 What once seemed like a pandemic-driven downturn in college enrollment now looks like the start of a broader slump for all but the most elite schools. In 2022, the winners in the education business will be those attending to the Ivy League.
Great CEO Resignation invites the Great Agitation 3 Jan 2022 Bosses are retiring at a record clip, leaving companies scrambling for experienced leaders. At the same time, activists are revved up. As companies grapple with restless staff, supply chain challenges and economic uncertainty, investor cage rattlers will ramp up their campaigns.
Macau watchdogs will double down on digital yuan 3 Jan 2022 As casino operators prepare bids for new licenses in the $37 bln gambling hub, investors fear regulators will tighten their grip on Sands, Wynn and MGM. One clever way to start would be by forcing them to adopt China’s new virtual currency.
Wall Street will find ways to satisfy crypto envy 3 Jan 2022 Banks have mostly been shut out of the $2 trln digital asset craze. Many want in, but they will have to deal with murky regulation, a 24/7 market and patchy legal protections. A fight for profit and customers may also obscure other risks in a market untested by the mainstream.