September, 2019

• 14 September

  People can’t save Google, Facebook

  

  The scrutiny of giant technology companies and the inevitable anxiety that follows are now so commonplace that they have become rote. Once terms like “techlash” become household words, it’s easy to become numb. The attorneys general of 48 US states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico announced an antitrust probe into Google parent firm Alphabet. For those in need ...

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• 14 September

  In the bond market, Italy has a golden opportunity

  The new Italian government coalition of the Democratic Party and the Five Star Movement has been gifted a golden opportunity. The sharp drop in its sovereign bond yields means it can get ahead of its borrowing requirements for this year. Italian yields have fallen to record lows recently as investors have welcomed an administration that’s somewhat less antagonistic to the ...

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• 14 September

  Fed loan data is showing waning power of rate cuts

  If the ultimate goal of lower interest rates is to spark economic activity through demand for loans, then the Federal Reserve’s first cut in more than a decade can be deemed a failure. After the central bank lowered its target rate for overnight loans between banks on July 31 to a range of 2% to 2.25%, demand for credit among ...

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• 14 September

  Beware banks dipping into this murky trade

  

  A type of financial engineering that proved to be toxic during the financial crisis is slowly making a comeback as banks try to offset the risk of their borrowers not repaying their loans. Capital relief trades, or synthetic deals, are making a comeback – and Europe is about to refine the rules of the game. Getting those right will be ...

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• 14 September

  Hong Kong protests make China wary of easing income gaps

  

  The longer Hong Kong protests drag on, the less likely China will be to unleash the trillion-dollar stimulus markets seem to want. Beijing has become painfully aware that its easy-money policies of the past inflated asset bubbles and widened the wealth gap. Any repeat endeavours could risk stoking social unrest on the mainland. Over the past decade, China flooded its ...

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• 14 September

  Nissan, Ghosn and Japan’s legal double standards

  

  In Japan, is there one standard of justice for Japanese executives and another for non-Japanese executives? The forced resignation of Nissan Motor Co.’s chief executive officer, Hiroto Saikawa, certainly seems to suggest as much. When Nissan wanted to get rid of its then-chairman Carlos Ghosn, it conducted an internal investigation that was kept from Ghosn, found some examples of allegedly ...

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• 14 September

  Porsche, Tesla face off in Germany’s ‘Green Hell’

  

  Bloomberg First there was derision. Then mockery turned into admiration. Now a battle is unfolding between two of the most revered names in the automobile world, Porsche and Tesla Inc on one of the world’s most challenging race tracks. The two automakers are vying for electric vehicle bragging rights on Germany’s Nürburgring, a circuit with 73 tight turns (Silverstone in ...

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• 14 September

  TeamViewer seeks $2.5b in top German tech IPO since 2000

  

  Bloomberg The owners of software maker TeamViewer are seeking to raise as much as $2.54 billion in Germany’s biggest technology initial public offering in almost two decades. Private-equity firm Permira plans to sell as many as 84 million shares for 23.50 euros to 27.50 euros apiece via holding firm TigerLuxOne, the company said in a statement. TeamViewer stock is expected ...

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• 14 September

  Delivery drone unveiled by startup joins air race for commerce

  

  Bloomberg A startup hoping to challenge more established drone delivery giants such as Amazon.com Inc is unveiling a pod-like craft that it predicts could someday be used by stores to get products to customers within minutes. The company, Flirtey Inc, also envisions entering the public health sphere, with plans to fly defibrillators directly to emergency scenes, the company said in ...

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• 14 September

  India plans to conduct own assessment on Boeing’s 737 Max jets

  

  Bloomberg India plans to conduct its own checks and demand simulator training for all pilots before Boeing Co’s 737 Max jets can fly in the country again, even if the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) were to clear the grounded jets, a person with direct knowledge of the matter said. India plans to start its own assessment only after the ...

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