Consumer groups’ health drive comes at a cost 4 Dec 2017 Germany’s Merck has invited bids for its $4.8 billion Seven Seas vitamins unit. With Pfizer also selling its over-the-counter business, Nestlé and rival consumer giants see opportunities to use their sharper marketing skills. But the health craze comes with pumped-up valuations.
Siemens beats activist investors at their own game 1 Feb 2017 Boss Joe Kaeser has carved out businesses, cut red tape and lifted payouts, all without outside pressure from militant shareholders. The group's impressive quarterly results and a better 2017 outlook vindicate the approach. Yet valuations have yet to reflect his success.
Richemont’s digital fears may be overstated 22 Jun 2015 Amazon has got the Cartier parent worried. But the online retail giant is badly dressed for success in luxury. Richemont’s hope to join Kering and LVMH in a digital fightback also risks underestimating threats posed by smaller, nimbler luxury rivals such as Burberry.
Deutsche/UBS: there’s life in EU bond trading yet 29 Jul 2014 The two banks and Credit Suisse outperformed Wall Street in second-quarter debt trading. That bucks a trend that has seen U.S. rivals take market share. Of the two, Deutsche Bank looks better placed to gain from any sustained bounce back in fixed income.