Sweden

ABB belatedly succumbs to industrial revolution

19 October 2018

While European heavyweights like Thyssenkrupp and Siemens restructure, the $45 bln Swiss-Swedish group still sits on a largely unrelated power business. Now CEO Ulrich Spiesshofer is finally mulling action, he should opt for a full spinoff rather than a half-hearted partial sale.

H&M gets too much credit for a patchy new look

27 September 2018

A glitchy supply chain sent the 23 billion euro fast-fashion retailer’s pre-tax profit down a fifth in the third quarter. Strong online demand was a rare bright spot. Investors who bid up the stock 10 percent ignore high levels of unsold stock and sales growth well below targets.

Spotify value is out of tune with musical reality

13 September 2018

The $33 bln streaming service is growing quickly and inching towards profitability. Yet investors are already giving the group credit for its ambitious targets. Powerful labels like Universal have every reason to make life difficult for boss Daniel Ek.

Volvo’s IPO problems go beyond brewing trade war

10 September 2018

The carmaker’s Chinese owner has paused a float worth up to $30 bln. Even without America’s tariff antics, that price tag would have been far too high. Investors are unconvinced old-school auto groups will get a return for their spending on electric and autonomous cars.

Sweden election shows it’s not the economy, stupid

7 September 2018

The Nordic nation is growing faster than the EU as a whole, has a higher employment rate, a budget surplus, and scores well on income equality. Yet the far-right Sweden Democrats may do well in Sunday’s vote. A good life offers limited immunity against immigration fears.

Nordea’s bumper payout can weather top-line squall

19 July 2018

Scaling back lending to shipping and Russia dragged down the Nordic bank’s revenue and knocked 9 percent off its underlying pre-tax profit in the first half. However, a comfortable capital ratio of 19.9 percent should ensure the lender’s 8 percent dividend yield is safe.

Nordic telecom mash-up gives might to challenger

17 July 2018

Sweden’s Telia is beefing up its Norwegian operations by buying rival TDC’s local business for $2.6 bln. That gives it a sturdier platform to challenge incumbent Telenor. Cost savings should help deliver a decent return – as long as it avoids price wars or a regulatory clampdown.

Micro Focus $2.5 bln sale amplifies growth problem

2 July 2018

The British tech group’s disposal of an open-source software unit is helping its share price, which halved in March. Yet the source of its problems, a troubled former HP division, now accounts for more of the group’s revenue. A tricky turnaround has become even harder to execute.

Morrisons can pilfer from larger rivals’ trolley

7 June 2018

The merger of J Sainsbury and Walmart-owned Asda leaves the UK grocer in a distant third place. Boss David Potts could counterbid, but drumming up similar synergies looks tough. Better to lobby against the deal, and grab market share and the best shop locations if it goes ahead.

PayPal takes $2.2 bln step into physical payments

18 May 2018

The online pioneer is buying iZettle, which provides mobile card readers to small merchants. The valuation is higher than U.S. rival Square, and twice the Swedish group’s mooted IPO value. For PayPal, though, it’s a worthwhile move to expand its appeal to real-world retailers.

Volvo IPO will open road for M&A

11 May 2018

The Swedish group’s Chinese owner Geely may list the business it bought in 2010, profiting from a turnaround. That would raise cash for research and development and facilitate dealmaking. But a mooted valuation of up to $30 billion hinges on unrealistic Tesla-style multiples.

Spotify price hikes are dubious profitability plan

27 April 2018

The loss-making music service will soon charge Norwegians 10 pct more to listen to its vast song library. That will test if users value it enough to pay a premium over rival Apple. Spotify’s thin margins mean little benefit to investors even from a similar worldwide hike.

Electrolux buffeted by perfect Trump tariff storm

27 April 2018

The Swedish fridge maker lost a tenth of its value after operating profit almost halved in the first quarter. A rejig of its freezer factories in the U.S. was one culprit. But investors are dubious that cost cuts will enable such a global business to offset higher steel prices.

Nordea is safer on edge of Swedish property frenzy

25 April 2018

Aggressive new entrants have taken a chunk out of the Swedish bank’s mortgage share with hyper-low rates. Nordea and big domestic peers will feel tempted to join in to protect market share. That would be a bad idea – even if Swedish property values weren’t already falling.

Ericsson rebirth as much made in China as Sweden

20 April 2018

The Swedish telecom-kit maker’s shares soared 15 pct after quicker-than-expected cost cuts. That adds credibility to boss Borje Ekholm’s previously unimpressive rescue effort. An even bigger boost could come from anti-Chinese sentiment harming rivals like Huawei and ZTE.

Intesa offers partial hope for Italy’s dud loans

17 April 2018

The Italian lender is nearing a deal with Swedish group Intrum to shed 10.8 bln euros of dodgy loans from its balance sheet. Domestic peers will be cheered by the price, which is higher than rivals have attained in similar transactions. Then again, Intesa is a better bank.

Spotify and its direct listing win popular vote

3 April 2018

The music service earned a stonking $29 bln valuation in its early moments as a public company. Its non-traditional float scored insiders more liquidity, while saving on fees. Was it a real success, either for the company or for its unusual method? Ask this time next year.

Ericsson merits a dysfunctionality discount

31 January 2018

The Swedish telecoms-kit maker reported an operating loss for the fifth consecutive quarter and sales fell 10 percent in 2017. Boss Borje Ekholm promises an improvement this year but the core mobile market is shrinking. A valuation premium to Nordic peer Nokia is hard to justify.

H&M’s unfashionable stock demands total revamp

31 January 2018

The retailer’s operating profit fell by a third in the fourth quarter and operating margin has more than halved in a decade. Its valuation has fallen toward that of dowdier peers. Stopping the rot will at the least require an aggressive online strategy and more store closures.

Viewsroom: Trump solar tax is more burn than balm

25 January 2018

The U.S. president seems to be trying to right past trade wrongs. But business has long since moved on, meaning tariffs on washing machines and solar panels will do more harm than good. Also, Merkel and Modi disappoint in snow-ravaged Davos. Plus: Spotify’s Wall Street snub.