Malaysia

Tesco’s Asia retreat seals humdrum UK future

9 March 2020

The retailer sold its Thai and Malaysian units for $10.6 bln. The price of 12.5 times EBITDA suggests CEO Dave Lewis prioritised a fast sale. Investors will pocket a 5 bln pound special dividend. With a clear focus on its dominant British business, Tesco will be safer but duller.

Malaysian upheaval turns back clock for Goldman

2 March 2020

A surprise new prime minister is supported by the party whose ex-leader is on trial over 1MDB. That undercuts a fight against corruption. It also resets talks with the Wall Street bank over its role in the fund scandal, even if this government may reconsider an $8 bln tab.

Super-app M&A would be sign of more rational times

25 February 2020

A mooted merger of Gojek and Grab could create a $23 bln Southeast Asian food-delivery-to-ride-hailing giant. Strategic investors are still keen to write cheques, but easy money from SoftBank and others is drying up fast. Consolidation is the best path to continued rapid growth.

Goldman Sachs tests Malaysia reach in Tesco deal

15 January 2020

The bank is advising on the $9 bln sale of the grocer’s Southeast Asia businesses. Goldman could indirectly earn fees from the sale of assets in Malaysia where it is in hot water over its role in the 1MDB scandal. A smooth checkout will signal it’s mostly back in action.

Goldman set for show of guilt without tears

19 December 2019

The Wall Street firm may pay $2 bln for its role in the 1MDB bribery scandal and offer a rare admission of wrongdoing. Neither fine nor mea culpa would carry much sting. As often happens in the cat-and-mouse game of enforcement, the end result looks half-baked.

Tesco leaves Asia with a full cart

9 December 2019

Britain's biggest grocer may sell its business in Thailand and Malaysia. Thai peer Central Retail should list at a rich valuation, making it a good time to exit before regional economies cool further. The likes of prior owner CP Group could put $9 bln in Tesco’s pocket.

Goldman faces drip-drip 1MDB pain like Jho Low

31 October 2019

The alleged mastermind of the Malaysian fund fraud will pay the U.S. $700 mln. The deal’s loose ends hint at future pain for others, including the Wall Street bank. CEO David Solomon wants to draw a clean line under the scandal. Instead Goldman could end up paying multiple times.

The Exchange: The Asianisation of the world

17 September 2019

A splintering West and increasingly interconnected East is creating a newly powerful mega-region, according to Parag Khanna, author of “The Future is Asian.” He swung by the Breakingviews office in Hong Kong to break down the economic and geopolitical rationales behind his idea.

Southeast Asia joins global telecom M&A hang-up

6 September 2019

Telenor and Axiata ended talks to create a $40 bln regional champion. A complicated structure and Malaysia’s nationalist tendencies eclipsed the allure of big cost savings. The difficulty of merging phone operators around the world presents a growing problem for investors.

Goldman’s top brass become hostages in 1MDB fight

9 August 2019

Malaysia has filed criminal charges against current and former star bankers, including international boss Richard Gnodde. It’s a cunning way to ramp up pressure on the Wall Street firm for a mega settlement. Goldman could end up paying three times to end the sovereign scandal.

Singapore Airlines reroutes back to Malaysia

28 June 2019

The $8 bln carrier is deepening ties with its struggling Kuala Lumpur rival, from code-sharing to maintenance. It may be a precursor to merging again nearly 50 years after the two split. Reuniting would benefit both, but politics and regulation will be hard to navigate.

Uber and Lyft create Asian valuation conundrum

30 May 2019

U.S. ride-hailing exuberance faded into lacklustre market debuts. At the same time, Singapore’s $14 bln Grab, for example, recently raised capital privately at 7 times expected revenue, compared to Uber’s 5 times. Fast-growing payment units can only justify some of the gap.

Viewsroom: Oil M&A fight may end with no winner

9 May 2019

Occidental boss Vicki Hollub corralled BofA CEO Brian Moynihan and investor Warren Buffett to her side to seal a $38 bln offer for Anadarko. Her tactics scared off rival bidder Chevron but may alienate her own shareholders. Plus: Malaysia’s reform efforts since the 1MDB scandal.

Malaysia’s ruling coalition could use a fresh push

7 May 2019

A year after his shock win, Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's popularity is flagging. Change has been slow. His party has only tinkered with wasteful subsidies. Scrapping a goods and service tax also left a fiscal hole. It’ll take more to fix tainted institutions and fuel growth.

Norwasian telecom deal dials right numbers

6 May 2019

Telenor and Malaysia’s Axiata are aiming to form a regional champion with some 300 mln customers by merging their South and Southeast Asian businesses. Bigger looks better with savings worth some $5 bln expected. Kuala Lumpur might raise an eyebrow at less competition, though.

Belt and Road repairs fix only some potholes

25 April 2019

Beijing's gathering this week to promote its $1 trln-plus foreign policy push comes after a year of unprecedented troubles, from Pakistan to Malaysia. Under pressure, China has shown some welcome flexibility. But U.S. hostility is ramping up too; that’s far harder to pave over.

Kuala Lumpur can give up Malaysia Airlines

21 March 2019

The flag carrier has been losing cash for years. Now Premier Mahathir Mohamad is asking if it should fly at all. State-meddling has hampered a turnaround and there’s too much local capacity. Folding the airline would show that his government is ready to rein in the state.

Goldman Sachs will spend 2019 in velvet handcuffs

18 December 2018

New boss David Solomon starts the year with a mission to grow, lots of ambition and a crosstown rival that has steadily upped its game. A big deal – say, buying an asset manager – could help Solomon vault ahead of Morgan Stanley. That’s if the 1MDB scandal doesn’t bind his hands.

Wall Street could use remedial lectures on culture

17 December 2018

The New York Fed’s push to improve industry behavior deserves top watchdog billing. Goldman’s 1MDB mess is only one reminder the message hasn’t totally sunk in. Slower economic growth in 2019 could expose more lapses. It’s a good time for boss John Williams to badger his charges.

Goldman Sachs could wind up paying twice for 1MDB

28 November 2018

Abu Dhabi’s sovereign fund is now suing the investment bank for its role in the Malaysian scandal. Damages being sought could exceed Goldman's average net profit of $5.4 bln. U.S. authorities may want a piece, too. The longer this drags out, the worse the financial fallout looks.