Corona Capital: Skis, Italian banks, Dividends 26 Nov 2020 Concise views on the pandemic’s corporate and financial fallout: Europe’s hopes for a common ski policy hit a mogul; Italian lender Credito Valtellinese faces a lonely bidding war; Aviva’s payout cut is less stingy than it looks.
Corona Capital: Record Dow, Basketball, GoCompare 25 Nov 2020 Concise views on the pandemic’s corporate and financial fallout: Vaccine optimism shunts the blue-chip Dow Jones index through 30,000; U.S. college basketball gets back on the court; and UK publisher Future snaps up the bargain-hunting website.
Corona Capital: Tiffany, Biden, Vaccines, Cash box 24 Nov 2020 Concise views on the pandemic’s corporate and financial fallout: The cut-price jeweller issues less-than-sparkling results; the U.S. president-elect gets to start tackling the pandemic; Russia touts its discount vaccine; and UK firms gorge on shareholder-unfriendly equity issues.
Corona Capital: Dimon weighs in, Gen Z 18 Nov 2020 Concise views on the pandemic’s corporate and financial fallout: JPMorgan’s chief executive calls for U.S. politicians to “just split the baby” on stimulus; and Generation Z deals a new body blow to the idea that office life will emerge from the pandemic unscathed.
Corona Capital: Lyft, Vaccine minefield, Peru 11 Nov 2020 Concise views on the pandemic’s corporate and financial fallout: The U.S. ride-hailing company is tempted by food delivery; Pfizer could face high demand for its coronavirus vaccine; and Peru gets another leadership shuffle just as Covid-19 cases soar.
Pfizer jolt delivers taste of post-Covid markets 9 Nov 2020 The pharmaceutical giant said its vaccine may be over 90% effective. Stocks surged and bond yields rose. How long that level of immunity lasts isn’t clear, and inoculating enough people will take time. But the prospect of a return to normality is a potent market stimulant.
Corona Capital: Warren Buffett, Burger boost 9 Nov 2020 Concise views on the pandemic’s corporate and financial fallout: Rising share prices take the sting out of Berkshire Hathaway’s Covid-19 profit hit; and McDonald’s reports a good quarter for American nugget-lovers.
Bank investors blithely bet on benign EU lockdowns 6 Nov 2020 Shares in lenders like Deutsche Bank, Lloyds and BNP are higher than a month ago despite new restrictions in Germany, Britain and France. Short, mild quarantines may indeed leave them unscathed. Yet that’s a risky bet since past predictions of a “V-shaped” recovery were wrong.
Corona Capital: GM earnings, Third-quarter readout 5 Nov 2020 Concise views on the pandemic’s corporate and financial fallout: General Motors swerves around Covid-19 potholes; and U.S. companies look to have emerged from a difficult three months in better shape than expected.
UK’s moonshot Covid test plan risks crash landing 3 Nov 2020 Prime Minister Boris Johnson is rolling out mass testing in the city of Liverpool to fight the coronavirus. Such plans have worked in China, but infected British citizens may resist being quarantined. Without penalties or more help, the scheme may be an elaborate waste of money.
Corona Capital: Ferrari, E-commerce, Fox 3 Nov 2020 Concise views on the pandemic’s corporate and financial fallout: Ferrari leaves its auto rivals in the dust; Russia’s online marketplace Ozon heads for a New York IPO; and Fox avoids the virus-induced advertising drought.
Only a twin-track approach will rescue UK economy 2 Nov 2020 Finance minister Rishi Sunak will spend more to soften the impact of a new lockdown and the Bank of England is likely to loosen policy again. It won’t stop insolvencies or economic scarring. Retraining workers of all ages and encouraging productivity-boosting investment is vital.
Review: What can be more premium than luxury? 30 Oct 2020 The next generation of affluent shoppers will spend more on experiences and edgy products, says Erwan Rambourg in “Future Luxe”. That may dim the appeal of classic deluxe products like Gucci bags or Cartier watches. Luxury will be more about what you do than just what you own.
Corona Capital: Netflix price hike 30 Oct 2020 Concise views on the pandemic’s corporate and financial fallout: The streaming-video service hiked the price on subscriptions as binge-watching booms during the pandemic.
Europe virus defences can manage one more lockdown 29 Oct 2020 France and Germany are imposing tough restrictions to stem the pandemic. The economic shock should be milder than the first Covid-19 crisis, and government spending and the ECB can cushion the blow. Yet the region would struggle to cope with a protracted shutdown.
Europe’s new lockdowns are Covid-19 reality check 28 Oct 2020 France is the latest nation to mull tough restrictions to curb infections. Companies are in a weaker state than in the first wave having racked up $765 bln of new debt. Despite the selloff, investors are pricing in a swift recovery. That’s hard to square with a lingering virus.
Corona Capital: Drugmaker’s pick-me-up, Golf M&A 28 Oct 2020 Concise views on the pandemic’s corporate and financial fallout: Drugmaker GSK sees a recovery in vaccinations against old-school ailments; meanwhile Covid-19 turns out to be a handy driver when it comes to golf-related dealmaking.
Corona Capital: Binge-watching, Gaming 27 Oct 2020 Concise views on the pandemic’s corporate and financial fallout: Streaming viewers like to binge-watch, but they are being stingy; a fresh surge of Covid-19 cases could be a boon for gaming developers.
The Exchange: IMF and sub-Saharan Africa 27 Oct 2020 The regional head of the International Monetary Fund, Abebe Aemro Selassie, joins Swaha Pattanaik to discuss how the Washington-based lender is helping hard-hit countries, debt difficulties, the need for reforms, and why policy choices are more limited than in advanced economies.
U.S. election could be Twitter’s darkest day 26 Oct 2020 The $40 bln firm, Facebook and other online platforms can’t win in the Nov. 3 ballot. Banning political ads and premature claims of victory will be controversial and messy. Breakingviews imagines Jack Dorsey proposing one radical option to Mark Zuckerberg: a temporary shutdown.