Uber steers around its Asian innovation conundrum 13 Feb 2019 After exits from China and Southeast Asia, the ride-hailing giant's eastern footprint hinges on India and promising spots, like Taiwan. Emerging market problems force a rapid pace of change. Safety buttons and a "lite" app are encouraging, but local rivals are moving faster.
Pinduoduo’s bid for calm has its limits 12 Feb 2019 Even by Chinese tech company standards, the $31 bln e-commerce outfit has had a volatile start to public life. A $1 bln follow-on will up the float and help to ease wild price swings. But ballooning losses, competition with Alibaba, and legal woes will continue to create a stir.
China could pay dearly for winning the 5G race 12 Feb 2019 The U.S. Secretary of State is in Europe lobbying politicians to ditch Huawei network products. Beijing is spending $400 bln trying to gain an edge in the next- generation telecoms, benefitting local champions. But if exports get stymied, China could be stuck with a hefty bill.
The Exchange: Huawei’s U.S. security chief 11 Feb 2019 Andy Purdy, who previously worked in academia and for the U.S. government, talks about the geopolitical edge to allegations about Beijing’s influence at Chinese tech group Huawei, and how communications equipment needs global standards and better testing across the board.
U.S. auto tariffs may force trade-war ceasefire 8 Feb 2019 Talks with Europe and Japan are not going well, increasing the odds of the White House taxing their vehicle imports. The possible $42 bln sales hit and 200,000 lost jobs would hurt voters in a way Trump’s overall tariff tirade hasn’t. That may finally prompt lawmakers to wake up.
China’s property giants have a decent foundation 8 Feb 2019 Evergrande and other developers are tapping pricey offshore markets to refinance $98 bln of debt maturing this year. Sales are slow, but prices are still rising fast enough for comfort. Things will look even better if officials ease curbs as part of an economic stimulus package.
L’Oréal can save up to buy out Nestlé 7 Feb 2019 Buoyant demand from Chinese shoppers boosted the cosmetics giant’s sales and margins in 2018. The Lancôme owner’s growing 2.8 billion euro net cash pile may seem an unnecessary indulgence. But it will come in handy if Nestlé gives in to pressure to reduce its 23 pct stake.
Hadas: GDP forecasters need to lower their sights 6 Feb 2019 Global growth predictions for 2019 are sinking. There are one-offs, like trade tensions, but larger trends are also at play. Demographics, undercounted new technological gains and China’s middle-income blues all drag down the numbers. The GDP errors carry big risks for debtors.
SoftBank’s Einstein pitch fails relativity test 6 Feb 2019 Masayoshi Son invoked the Nobel Prize winner’s theories to argue the Japanese group is worth $110 bln more. But adjust his sums for low liquidity and the possibility of squandered cash, and the black hole is small. Massive objects like the Vision Fund distort the laws of physics.
China cigarette IPO offers unfiltered Beijing bet 4 Feb 2019 The overseas arm of China Tobacco will list in Hong Kong. Sales abroad are growing. But most of its revenue comes from importing leaves for its parent, a monopoly in a country where 300 million people light up. That's a lot of risky exposure to dated anti-smoking policies.
KFC is finger lickin’ in a less appetising China 1 Feb 2019 Mainland appetite for fried chicken helped Yum China turn a fourth-quarter profit and pushed same-store sales up 2 pct, beating forecasts. It's still expanding fast too. That suggests a resilient bet on Chinese consumers: even as budgets tighten, cheap eats stay on the menu.
Viewsroom: Why did PG&E file for bankruptcy? 31 Jan 2019 The California utility may face up to $30 bln in wildfire costs. But shareholders see value and lenders were willing to stump up cash. The board’s desire to cut other expenses may have driven the decision. Plus: How U.S. charges against Huawei may affect the telco industry.
Trump’s trade pounce is a gift to China 31 Jan 2019 The U.S. president says it’s his and Xi Jinping’s job to strike a tariff deal. Asserting the importance of his personal involvement reflects his desire for a pact and may mean Beijing won’t have to make big concessions. It puts hardline White House negotiators in a tough spot.
Foxconn’s U.S. debacle offers an economics lesson 31 Jan 2019 The iPhone maker and Wisconsin taxpayers made a $10 bln bet on a manufacturing revival in the United States. Now Terry Gou's outfit says making flat screens there is uncompetitive, and jobs will be in research and design. It's a reality check for Donald Trump's industrial dream.
Sinochem’s backtrack sends a fresh IPO warning 31 Jan 2019 The Chinese chemicals and oil giant has paused plans to float its refining and trading unit in Hong Kong. Beijing’s behemoths once listed regardless of market conditions, thanks to government-backed peers. The $2 bln U-turn should worry hopefuls without state support.
Alibaba powers on with small things 30 Jan 2019 Quarterly sales grew 41 pct, the weakest pace in three years. But there’s still momentum in Jack Ma’s retail juggernaut. China’s wider slowdown has been marked by tepid demand for big-ticket items like iPhones. Everyday purchases like groceries and apparel are propelling Alibaba.
Xinjiang is an extreme case of China’s growth woes 30 Jan 2019 Beijing is trying to de-radicalise its Uighur minority in giant camps. Officials call them vocational training centres, but mass detentions are not helping investment or jobs. As provinces cut 2019 targets, the region is becoming an acute example of widespread capital retreat.
Thruppence: Who wins by sponsoring UK book prize? 29 Jan 2019 Man Group has ended its support for the UK’s prestigious Booker award. The hedge fund decided there were worthier recipients of its 1.6 mln pound annual cheque. Luckily for aspiring authors, Breakingviews columnists have a handy shortlist of those who could step into the breach.
The Exchange: Joseph Tsai 29 Jan 2019 Alibaba’s co-founder and executive vice chairman joins Breakingviews to reveal what the future holds for the $400 billion tech giant. As investors fret over economic uncertainties, Tsai also tackles the recent fallout from Huawei, a bruising trade war and the case for tax cuts.
Europe’s telcos have 20 bln reasons to love Huawei 29 Jan 2019 Ditching the Chinese supplier could push up costs for the region’s carriers, and knock 7 pct off their market value. Politicians may deem that a price worth paying to ensure the security of mobile networks. Yet slow-growing, debt-heavy telcos hardly need another cash flow hit.