Protectionism is key threat to China’s M&A boom 29 Nov 2016 Beijing could clamp down on overseas takeovers as it seeks to slow capital outflows and state firms splurging on non-core businesses. But mooted restrictions would not have stopped most of 2016's big deals. A larger headache will be Western countries raising the drawbridge.
A weakened free press comes at a price 25 Nov 2016 Donald Trump's antagonism toward the media keeps rising. Turkey, meanwhile, has jailed more than 140 journalists. Struggling publishers are cutting staff. Research suggests less restraint on news gathering helps GDP growth. That makes the current environment an economic threat.
Merkel can win new term, but won’t finish it 20 Nov 2016 The German chancellor's decision to run for re-election in 2017 is a gesture of much-needed stability. Angela Merkel is likely to win despite the rise of the right-wing AfD party. After that, her best bet is to quit while she is ahead.
Eager shareholders make Elon Musk too cool to fail 17 Nov 2016 Tesla owners have backed the CEO's quixotic $2.6 bln bid for Solar City. He now faces an epic 2017 juggling act of making the merger work while driving for ambitious production targets. Mistakes could fell other bosses, but indulgent investors are likely to give Musk a pass.
Markets keep climate-change fight alive 15 Nov 2016 Having Donald Trump as global warming's denier-in-chief is a big setback for reducing emissions and a blow to the Paris accord. Other countries are still committed to action, though. Renewable energy is mainstream. And a strong financial case will keep green investment humming.
Lenovo could follow Dell’s buyout blueprint 4 Nov 2016 Sales keep falling at the Chinese PC giant, and its stock has shed nearly 40 pct this year. If Lenovo's bosses and main shareholder think the market is too pessimistic about its turnaround, there is a ready-made solution: mimic U.S. rival Dell and take the $7 bln group private.
Cox: First Boston-Bankers Trust may unite in 2017 1 Nov 2016 Credit Suisse and Deutsche Bank bought the Wall Street firms decades ago but are still subscale in the United States. The two could limp along, never meeting their cost of capital. Joining forces, and spinning off the combination, is an alternative with many virtues to consider.
Hedge-fund fee reality will set in only slowly 22 Sep 2016 The archetypal 2-and-20 structure isn't actually the norm. Even slightly lower charges, though, look way too high against the feeble returns of late. New data suggests fees are drifting lower, as they should. There are, though, plenty of reasons to think the process will drag.
Chinese fintech could help revive Hong Kong market 2 Sep 2016 Web groups like Alibaba snubbed the territory to float Stateside. A new breed of financial upstarts with few global peers may find Hong Kong more welcoming. A few multi-billion-dollar listings would cut the bourse's reliance on stodgy financial and property giants.