Opinion

It’s that time again, when we scan the stars for clues about the year ahead in mergers. What follows is our second annual Gadfly compilation of dealmaker horoscopes: 12 CEOs and top executives across a variety of industries—matched with their zodiac signs—who appear destined for mergers and acquisitions in 2018. Capricorn: Jeff Bezos, chairman and CEO of Amazon.com Inc. Capricorn, ...

It’s possible that more than half of the US’s trade deficit is a mirage — an artifact of corporate shenanigans designed to avoid taxes. Official statistics say that the US trade deficit is about 3 percent of gross domestic product — smaller than in the 2000s, but still historically large. But a recent Goldman Sachs note about tax reform makes ...

For all the hype about the decline of the West, it still largely controls whether emerging markets thrive or suffer. The broad global pick-up in growth this year propelled emerging markets toward the biggest gains in stocks and currencies in almost a decade. China’s debt binge did add ballast to the global expansion, and the country’s neighbors are vulnerable to ...

With the crisis deepening at Steinhoff International Holdings NV, a January sale of its assets looks increasingly likely. But this is not the time to be offloading retail businesses. The company was putting a brave face on its operating performance at a presentation to creditors on Tuesday. That does not alter the fact that for some of its large assets, ...

Italy’s Five Star Movement, which is on track to win the most votes in next year’s election, likes to portray itself as the party of transparency and honesty, in contrast with the opportunism of the mainstream political forces. When it comes to Italy’s membership of the euro, however, Five Star are showing the same kind of reckless expediency they attack ...

Running a money-management firm provides a window into the psyches of all kinds of people: long-term investors, real estate speculators, institutional traders, tech entrepreneurs and everyone in between. During any given week, I speak with all sorts of people who have capital at risk in markets. Most understand what they are investing in and why. Then there are the folks ...

Boeing Co.’s latest salvo in the escalating battle with its planemaking rivals could wind up piercing its own foot. The $175 billion company, it was revealed, is in talks to acquire Brazilian regional-jet maker Embraer SA. The deal would give Boeing products that compete with the Bombardier Inc. C-Series planes in which its rival Airbus SE just agreed to acquire ...

It is protected by Washington state’s lopsidedly Democratic political class, which knows who butters its bread. It has been provided with bespoke law, tailored for its comfort. Nevertheless, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) has been so avaricious in its objectives and so thuggish in its methods that it has been bested by the Freedom Foundation. This small conservative outfit, ...

What I most dislike about the Trump/ Republican tax plan is the shameless cynicism with which it has been peddled. Recall how it works: The government borrows $1.5 trillion over a decade and instantly uses that money to cut taxes for major constituencies — workers, families, small businesses and big companies. The handouts aim to buy votes. This is borrowing ...

For retailers, December isn’t just the holiday shopping season. It’s also holiday return season, when consumers decide to send back all the stuff that didn’t fit, work or meet expectations. It’s an expensive ritual. According to the National Retail Federation, returns account for around 8 percent of total annual retail sales. Online retailers face an even heavier burden, with returns ...