Features

Breakdown: Clipping Huawei’s global 5G ambitions

18 January 2019

China's telecoms-equipment giant is in crisis. Its CFO has been arrested over alleged sanctions violations, and a security backlash has intensified in Europe. As the race to dominate next-generation wireless technology speeds up, Huawei's woes will have costly ramifications.

Guest view: Banks need a culture shock

8 January 2019

Conduct failures from Wells Fargo to Goldman Sachs to Danske Bank have damaged trust in banking, and can have a serious impact on profitability. Reforming bank culture to avoid scandals requires changing behavior and attitudes. It’s a tough job - one that has to start at the top.

Review: Saving capitalism from itself

4 January 2019

From France's "gilets jaunes" protests to the election of Donald Trump, faith in the system is weak. Two new polemics, "The Curse of Bigness" and "The Myth of Capitalism" blame a lack of competition. Updated antitrust rules can help fix that. It's a plausible aim.

Scooters will soon find city-friendly sweet spot

19 December 2018

They're tech toys that clog up streets and sidewalks. Yet they are also a clean, low-cost bridge between cars or mass transit and walking. The Bird CEO talks about sharing the cost of infrastructure. That could be a way forward, as long as the business model can stand it.

Renault-Nissan: Only merging makes financial sense

19 December 2018

The French and Japanese carmakers' lopsided stakes in each other are a poor use of capital. A full-blown marriage could boost their value by about 30 percent. That’s less likely after Carlos Ghosn’s ouster as Nissan chairman; the auto alliance is driving in the wrong direction.

China’s economic slouch will rattle cult of Xi

17 December 2018

Growth will keep slowing toward 6 pct amid a muddled plan to spark private investment while protecting state dinosaurs. That might embolden subdued Beijing reformers to push back against President Xi Jinping. Expect more defaults, fewer tech crackdowns and faster market opening.

Review: The attack of the killer fridges has begun

14 December 2018

The world is ever more connected via the internet, from cars and power grids to home appliances and toys. That means ever more things are dangerously hackable, security expert Bruce Schneier writes in “Click Here to Kill Everybody.” His title isn’t as hyperbolic as it may sound.

Memo to Theresa May: How to save Brexit as well

12 December 2018

The prime minister has survived a confidence vote from her party. But her deal to leave the European Union remains in a critical state. Downing Street aides have a bold rescue plan: call a second Brexit referendum. Breakingviews has obtained a copy of their make-believe advice.

Climate change on carbon is coming to Wall Street

12 December 2018

Extreme weather and wildfires underscore the threat of rising greenhouse-gas emissions. White House obstructionism at the global climate conference isn’t helping. But 2019 will bring more investor activism, broader funding options, better data and more realistic carbon prices.

Breakdown: Brexit maze has four flawed ways out

10 December 2018

The Prime Minister’s deal to leave the European Union is on life support after she delayed a crucial vote. Britain faces a baffling array of political options. Despite the confusion, the country essentially has four choices. Breakingviews offers a guide through the labyrinth.