Features

What we’ve learned about Brexit so far

19 September 2017

Britain’s divorce from the European Union is reaching the critical stage where talks are meant to shift from principle to detail. Progress is being slowed by bickering, technicalities and economic fog. Despite the risk of Brexit fatigue, five clear lessons stand out.

Breakdown: Colour-coding Germany’s election

18 September 2017

GroKo, black-green or Jamaica? Angela Merkel is almost certain to win a fourth term, but the race to be her partner is wide open. The outcome matters for Germany – and for Europe. Breakingviews decodes the colourful jargon, and looks at the consequences of different outcomes.

Review: Dalio writes ultimate baby boomer’s guide

15 September 2017

The Bridgewater founder is true to his generation. He wants you to decide what you want and help you get it. To that end he offers his life and work principles – all 525 of them. It's a bid for immortality, like the algorithm he's designing to run his $160 bln hedge fund.

Review: India’s rock star governor reclaims stage

15 September 2017

Raghuram Rajan was silent on India for a year after leaving the central bank. Now he calls for a rescue of bad lenders, and criticises its banknote ban. His truncated reflections in “I Do What I Do” leave the reader wanting more, but are awkward for his lower-key successor.

Review: Bank of England’s present echoes in past

8 September 2017

The Old Lady has evolved from government lender to modern central bank, but familiar themes recur in David Kynaston’s vivid history. Arguments over independence, monetary policy, bank bailouts and the City of London’s future are as timeworn as the institution itself.

Hurricanes taunt Texas to put money where mouth is

6 September 2017

As Irma threatens Florida, the Lone Star State has $180 bln of Harvey damage to pay for. Most will come from the feds even though Texas hates big government. With low taxes, billionaires aplenty and a GDP that dwarfs the cost, minimizing D.C. aid ought to be virtually a state duty.

China’s house rental push is past due

6 September 2017

Beijing wants more people to rent. Migrating from mortgages to leases could vent speculative pressure and put the critical property sector on a sustainable economic footing. Social customs and institutional interests will neutralise the initiative's effectiveness.

Guest view: Tax relief made for U.S. manufacturers

5 September 2017

President Trump's broad reforms probably will take many months to craft, but Congress already has a narrower bipartisan plan to help. Offering credits for putting R&D side by side with domestic factories can help productivity, argues Dhaval Jadav, the CEO of a tax consultancy.

SoftBank’s Vision Fund has $34 bln jackpot in sight

28 August 2017

Japan’s Masayoshi Son is nearly done raising a $100 bln tech war chest. If investments double in value, SoftBank’s own holdings would swell by $28 bln, and it would share in nearly $6 bln more of profits. The challenge is finding good, big bets in already expensive markets.

Washington has infrastructure backwards

15 August 2017

What’s needed to plug a $2 trln investment gap for U.S. airports, roads and such isn’t taxpayer cash. It’s the removal of hurdles to private financing and a change in the mindsets of authorities and consumers. There are good ideas to borrow from the likes of Canada and Australia.