Israel

Pepsi’s fizzy water deal may have flat aftertaste

20 August 2018

As CEO Indra Nooyi departs, the drinks giant is buying SodaStream for $3.2 bln. Diversifying into the high-growth carbonated water market has strategic logic, and Pepsi has cash. But new boss Ramon Laguarta will need sparkling revenue growth to make a decent return.

Scent makers’ $7 bln M&A splash-on has funny smell

7 May 2018

IFF is touting cost cuts worth almost double the premium it’s paying for Frutarom. The deal also sprays the buyer with a healthy dose of products made with natural ingredients. But IFF’s investment return looks low. That may be why investors are turning their noses up at it.

Teva’s feverish bailing efforts deluged by reality

14 December 2017

The drugmaker is suspending its dividend and cutting 25 pct of its workers to try to stop a debt-laden 2015 deal sinking the company. But most of the savings will probably be eaten up by shrinking sales for its blockbuster drug and falling prices for other generic medicines.

Activist lays multiple chips on silicon strategy

21 November 2017

In its latest semiconductor play, activist Starboard is seeking to push Israel’s Mellanox into a deal. It also owns a chunk of Marvell, a potential buyer whose prior approach was rebuffed. With technology and economics driving rapid consolidation, it makes sense to spread bets.

Teva’s new chief faces a tricky recovery

11 September 2017

Installing former Lundbeck boss Kare Schultz as CEO has given the Israeli drugmaker’s shares a shot in the arm. The new boss now needs to cut costs, and manage the group’s $35 bln debt pile. That’s hard given Teva’s challenges, and a tough market for generic drugs.

Israeli water deal is a glass half full

7 August 2017

Mexichem leaked $220 mln of value on its $1.9 bln purchase of Permira- and kibbutz-backed Netafim. With global populations, drought and pollution growing, though, the drip-irrigation pioneer should fill its new owner’s coffers. India and China, especially, have yet to be tapped.

AstraZeneca’s 3 billion pound CEO is overvalued

13 July 2017

That is how much was wiped off the drugmaker’s market value after a website reported Chief Executive Pascal Soriot will join Teva. Any such exit would hardly inspire confidence, coming after another senior departure and before a key medical trial. But the reaction is excessive.

Only Russia can make OPEC great again

23 May 2017

Moscow is giving the cartel more pricing clout. A mooted deal to extend output cuts and drain global crude stockpiles can only succeed with the continued support of the world’s biggest crude producer. With U.S. drillers recovering, it may be time to make the alliance permanent.

Intel puts self-driving pedal to financial metal

13 March 2017

Buying Mobileye for $15 bln values the autonomous-car parts supplier at 30 times estimated revenue. It’s possible to see how Intel’s gamble could pay off in this rapidly growing market. But its M&A record is patchy and the price assumes near-perfect success in a far-flung future.

Teva’s new boss has bitter medicine to administer

7 February 2017

The Israeli pharmaceuticals company has lost its second chief executive in four years. Its next CEO faces tough times in America, where drugmakers’ pricing is under attack. Homegrown problems include bad acquisitions, tricky governance and an over-reliance on one drug.

Review: Undermining the foundations of rationality

6 January 2017

Economists Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky changed our understanding of how people make decisions. "The Undoing Project" by Michael Lewis is a vivid and insightful account of their partnership. However, it also raises questions about why faith in rational humans is so enduring.

Perrigo shows danger of overplaying M&A defense

12 September 2016

The $13 bln drug company fought off Mylan's hostile takeover bid last year. Now it's missing the targets it set to persuade investors to reject the deal. It's a common infraction that in Perrigo's case has prompted activist Starboard to dive in. Overpromising is a fool's errand.

Tesla velocity causes supplier spinout

26 July 2016

Mobileye shares plummeted up to 18 pct after it said it would stop supplying advanced cameras to Elon Musk's electric-car maker in 2018. Sales to Tesla are too small to warrant such a crash. It's a reminder that the shift to autonomous vehicles is too early for investors to call.

Toyota, VW jump on cartech desperation bandwagon

24 May 2016

The Japanese automaker’s deal with Uber and its German rival’s with Gett come after GM invested in Lyft and Fiat Chrysler hooked up with Google. Each can learn from the other, but the technologists see opportunity while the manufacturers have more to fear about their fate.

Israel may give Silicon Valley run for its money

5 April 2016

Tech and cyber-security know-how, startup spirit, VC funds and even climate make the Middle East’s startup hub a bit like the Bay Area. Jerusalem is keeping Tel Aviv on its toes. Israel has other advantages, too – a global outlook and perhaps greater hunger than in the Valley.

Teva exits Mylan mess with $40.5 bln Allergan deal

27 July 2015

The Israeli pharma firm has been locked in a bitter battle to take over the Dutch drugmaker. Now it has agreed to buy the generic business from Allergan. The swap makes sense. Friendly is far easier than hostile, and the Allergan businesses are just as attractive as Mylan. 

Mylan is Stichting it to its shareholders

23 July 2015

The uniquely Dutch poison pill makes it likely that the drugmaker has seen off Teva’s $40 bln hostile bid. Mylan may now be able to seal a deal to buy smaller Perrigo. If not, Teva’s offer might re-emerge. Either way, though, investors have been deprived of a clear choice.

Teva lawyer conflict would make even bankers blush

10 June 2015

A judge urged that Kirkland & Ellis be barred from advising the drugmaker on its Mylan bid, citing an ethical breach. Goldman and others have been slapped for skewed loyalties but rarely with such force. It’s time attorneys stopped twisting formal rules to justify dodgy behavior.

Playtech could find trading tougher than gaming

1 June 2015

Israeli billionaire Teddy Sagi’s company has bid $700 mln for Plus500, the trading platform hit by a watchdog-mandated freeze on accounts. Playtech could flog online smarts to retail brokers - as it has in the gaming sector. But there may be fewer big players in need of advice.

Teva’s $40 bln hostile bid puts hope over reality

21 April 2015

The Israeli drugmaker needs a deal to shore up falling sales. Smaller rival Mylan offers that and oodles of synergies. A tie-up, though, would face antitrust concerns, require high leverage and have to get around a powerful poison pill. No wonder the market is skeptical.