Opinion

  A common problem in environmental, social and governance investing is that if you own stock in a coal company, and you care about ESG, so you sell that coal company stock, you are sort of by definition selling it to someone who does not care as much about ESG. And then what? It is fairly straightforward to say “I ...

It’s been a study in contrasting leadership. On the one hand, Russian President Vladimir Putin is shown on state television giving orders to stony-faced officials, distant at the far end of a long table. On the other, Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky, in military fatigues on the streets of Kyiv, talks directly to his citizens (and to the world) impromptu via ...

Presenting the outlines of a proposed stock-market listing of Porsche, executives of parent company Volkswagen AG emphasized how the initial public offering, likely to be one of Europe’s largest ever, “benefits all stakeholders.” However, at Volkswagen, some stakeholders are more important than others. Though the complicated plan has some appeal for VW’s institutional investors, its most eye-catching feature is to ...

  Oil major BP Plc is to exit its shareholding in Russian oil company Rosneft PJSC. It should transfer its troublesome asset to a trust designed to put future dividends, or proceeds from a sale, to good use. The current narrative seems to see only two alternatives for BP to offload its 19.75% shareholding in Rosneft — either find a ...

All eyes are on the conventional war unfolding in Ukraine. But a very different kind of conflict looms over the conflict. Before invading, Putin staged nuclear weapons drills around Russia’s border with Ukraine. In case anyone missed the point, his speech justifying the invasion reminded listeners that his country remained “one of the most powerful nuclear powers.” Worse, this rant ...

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine somehow managed to be shocking despite having been predicted, repeatedly, by President Joe Biden and members of his administration. Even the people making the predictions didn’t seem to believe them. Now that it’s happened and the implications are sinking in, the gap between the reality of the world and America’s perception of it looks vast. It’s ...

Could the iconic Polo Bear be taking a trip to Paris? LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE has held exploratory talks with Ralph Lauren Corp over the past two years, US news site Axios. Both companies declined to comment. But LVMH acquiring the US line has merits, even if dressing up Ralph Lauren’s preppy chic will be harder than polishing ...

The nine most terrifying words in the English language, Ronald Reagan once joked, are “I’m from the government, and I’m here to help.” For anyone involved in commodity markets, there’s a still more alarming version: “I’m from the Chinese government, and I’m here to stabilise prices.” That’s reason to be highly skeptical that Beijing’s plans to rein in the wild ...

  Russia’s war for Ukraine’s territory is being waged with tanks and artillery, but the battle for the world’s hearts and minds is being fought largely on social media — and there, at least, Vladimir Putin is losing. Cell phone videos of desperate Ukrainians huddled in subways have a power difficult to convey in words. Images captured by ordinary citizens ...

Kyiv’s residents have watched shells rain down on the city these past days as they did in 1941, then at the start of a brutal war in which Ukraine endured unthinkable suffering. As images circulate of families huddled in basements and in the city’s subway for safety while rocket strikes light up the sky, it’s hard not to make the ...