Sweden

H&M gets too much credit too soon

27 June 2019

The Swedish fashion retailer’s shares rose 10% after strong June sales. The company also said it would sell more clothes at full price and divert more resources to its online business. But to fully deserve the richer valuation, a drop in the operating margin has to be reversed.

Nordic banks’ soft regulators invite U.S. wrath

19 June 2019

Shares in Danske and Swedbank have fallen sharply due to concerns about American probes into money laundering. A $900 million fine by Dutch regulators helped ING escape U.S. ire for similar breaches. Laws limiting penalties in Scandinavia mean banks there may not be so lucky.

Lowball Nordic IT sale gives Apax a better exit

18 June 2019

The buyout firm accepted a lowly 1.3 bln euro cash-and-shares offer for Norwegian computer services firm Evry from Finnish rival Tieto. The measly 15% premium is less than half the value created by cost savings. Still, a 20% stake in the combined group should be easier to sell.

Sweden provides a cautionary digital tale for HSBC

18 June 2019

Hong Kong’s new online banking licences open the UK-based titan to new challenges in a market that accounts for 30% of pre-tax profit. Scandinavian giants such as Swedbank quickly fell prey to startups. And HSBC will be up against the likes of tech-savvy Alibaba and Tencent.

Thrice-ditched Aussie telco has its work cut out

5 June 2019

Swedish fund EQT has dropped its toppy $2.3 bln bid for Vocus after due diligence. Shares dropped 20%. It’s the third financial buyer to walk since 2017. It casts doubt on the target’s efforts to integrate deals. New boss Kevin Russell has to find a way to dial up confidence.

Aussie telco buyout exhibits fibre-optic fever

28 May 2019

Sweden’s EQT has offered to buy Vocus for $2.3 bln, a 35% premium to its undisturbed price and far higher than 2017 bids from KKR and Affinity. The price reflects hype around fancy fibre networks, which may not last. Shareholders will be grateful for the opportunity to exit.

Songwriters’ Spotify protest song is off-key

21 May 2019

The Swedish streaming site gets flak from musicians angry at low payouts. It’s a legitimate gripe, but label middlemen take home more than Spotify, which doesn’t even cover its costs. Tech giants like Apple and Amazon, meanwhile, stop CEO Daniel Ek from increasing his prices.

Swedbank CEO exit still leaves iceberg of problems

28 March 2019

The Swedish lender has dismissed CEO Birgitte Bonnesen shortly before its annual meeting. That was almost inevitable given allegations that the lender was involved in money laundering in the Baltics. The problem for investors is that the scandal will last longer than her tenure.

Second-hand $4 bln colostomy bag LBO may get messy

26 March 2019

Medical-kit maker ConvaTec’s value rose 9 pct after a report that buyout group EQT might be interested. Its shares are down a third since it was floated by private equity in 2016. A new owner could slash costs to rip out cash, but risks sacrificing more market share to rivals.

Spotify pitches Apple lament to easy EU audience

14 March 2019

The Swedish music service filed a European Commission complaint alleging that its rival’s payments system hurts competition. It may take years, but the EU has pursued similar cases against the likes of Google. It’s also well timed given the growing backlash against U.S. Big Tech.

EU banks keep stepping on old landmines

20 February 2019

A French court fined UBS a record $5.1 bln for helping clients evade taxes in the past, while Swedbank faces allegations about old dodgy transactions linked to Danske Bank’s money-laundering scandal. European lenders seem unable to avoid the damage from past compliance bungles.

Cevian, Nordea dangle truce in bank activism feud

21 December 2018

Lenders and shareholder activists rarely gel. But the Nordic bank welcomed the Swedish fund’s 2.3 pct stake. Cevian’s proposals for cost cuts are less radical than, say, a breakup, but could push Nordea’s return on equity to 14 pct. Its surplus capital could be a sweetener.

Ethical investing is cherry on private equity cake

18 December 2018

Bridgepoint is bidding $1 billion for Swedish gaming firm Cherry. The buyout group’s scope to pay a big premium and still get a good deal is due to public markets’ aversion to “sin stocks”. Ethical investing is supposed to improve behaviour, not private equity coffers.

Sweden’s SEB chooses relevance over higher returns

13 December 2018

The country’s second-biggest bank by assets said costs will increase 1 bln crowns by 2021 to cover digital investment, hitting profit. Yet unlike many stodgy European lenders battling online rivals, SEB is in a better position to defend the bottom line.

CVC’s $3 bln Nordic LBO do-over needs new tricks

11 December 2018

The buyout firm is taking control of Ahlsell again, two years after selling out of the Swedish distributor. Its recent ownership suggests there won’t be much scope to cut more costs. To get a decent return this time, CVC will have to pile on debt and hope for revenue to pick up.

Ericsson debacle exposes costs of anti-Huawei push

7 December 2018

The Swedish group’s glitchy software crashed some telecom networks. Yet it may grab market share, with its rival’s CFO under arrest and governments backing away from the Chinese company’s kit. A more concentrated market would mean higher prices and a risk of further big outages.

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.