Viewsroom

Breakingviews columnists talk about the big numbers, crunchy deals and nasty spats in global business and economics, offering a weekly dose of financial insight that goes beyond the concise and provocative views readers get from our columns every day.

News
26
Smaller banks pose big problems for regulators
Britain’s Metro Bank came close to the brink, while several US regional players failed earlier in 2023. In this Viewsroom podcast, Breakingviews columnists debate whether watchdogs have the right tools to deal with such situations, and whether they’re brave enough to use them.
18 min
27
Big Four scandals will derail breakup plans
EY and PwC are dealing with issues in their tax and consulting units. In this Viewsroom podcast, Breakingviews columnists explain how falling valuations of rivals like Accenture as well as questions about the stability of consulting fees will mean these firms may stick together.
19 min
28
European listing exodus is just beginning
Building materials firm CRH and packaging giant Smurfit Kappa are among a growing list of companies seeking to decamp from Europe to US exchanges. In this Viewsroom podcast, Breakingviews columnists discuss what is prompting groups to leave and why the rot is unlikely to ease.
21 min
29
Listing duo offers followers a cautious playbook
Chip designer Arm and grocery delivery company Instacart have secured relatively successful stock launches, offering hope of a wider reopening of the IPO market. In this Viewsroom podcast, Breakingviews columnists explain how cornerstone investors and lowly valuations helped.
12 min
30
BP CEO exit raises strategy and board questions
Bernard Looney resigned after he failed to disclose past relationships with staff. In this Viewsroom podcast, Breakingviews columnists debate what that means for the oil giant’s commitment to net zero, and whether BP’s board did all it could have done.
18 min
31
Arm’s IPO valuation rests on big dose of hope
The SoftBank-owned chip designer is getting ready to list. In this Viewsroom podcast, Breakingviews columnists argue that even the company’s reduced price tag of $50 bln is still far too high, and debate what investors would have to believe to buy the shares.
15 min
32
African coups will ramp up scramble for minerals
Gabon’s government was overthrown by a military revolt, following similar unrest in Niger. In this Viewsroom podcast, Breakingviews columnists discuss how instability in producers of key resources like manganese and uranium will lead global powers to hunt for more stable sources.
14 min
33
China’s sliding currency is vote of no confidence
The People’s Republic is scrambling to stop the yuan’s weakening against the US dollar. In this Viewsroom podcast, Breakingviews columnists discuss capital flight pressures and tepid investor interest in the world’s second largest economy, and what that means for the wider world.
14 min
34
Arm float may deepen cracks in IPO market
The chip designer is preparing a stock market listing in the US. Orders are already being lined up from customers like Amazon.com but in this Viewroom podcast Breakingviews columnists explain why it may not get a lofty valuation and how that could put off possible followers.
14 min
35
Big Tech is mostly leaping a low bar
The stock market’s mood increasingly hinges on the vagaries of tech giants like Meta, Amazon and Apple. In this Viewsroom podcast, Breakingviews columnists discuss how most of their recent earnings held up – even if only compared to muted expectations for their core businesses.
12 min
36
Cracking the IPO window is a tall task
Sandal-maker Birkenstock is among those angling to defy a downturn in stock-market debuts. In this Viewsroom podcast, Breakingviews columnists discuss how corporate hopefuls on both sides of the Atlantic are trying to thaw the deepest freeze on public listings since the pandemic.
20 min
37
Inflation dip puts central bankers in a pickle
The Federal Reserve and ECB once again hiked interest rates. Yet US price rises are easing with few signs of economic pain. In this Viewsroom podcast, Breakingviews columnists discuss how this phenomenon, dubbed ‘immaculate disinflation’, complicates what policymakers do next.
15 min
38
China’s growing pains are only just beginning
The recovery in the world’s second largest economy is stalling. In this Viewsroom podcast, Breakingviews columnists discuss how that weakness will test President Xi Jinping’s resolve to deleverage sectors including property and add urgency to find new growth engines.
20 min
39
Thames Water’s leaky financials are far from fixed
The privately owned UK water company managed to cobble together a rescue from existing shareholders. But in this Viewsroom podcast, Breakingviews columnists discuss why the fresh funds may not be enough, and the threat of nationalisation hangs over the sector as a whole.
13 min
40
Canary Wharf faces stiff test to reinvent itself
HSBC is quitting the financial hub and moving to smaller quarters. In this Viewsroom podcast, Breakingviews columnists discuss how hybrid working is an existential threat for commercial property and how Canary Wharf’s pivot to residential and retail may only be a partial salve.
21 min
41
Putin’s problems are only minor boost for Ukraine
The Russian president restored a semblance of calm in Moscow after an aborted mutiny. In this Viewsroom podcast, Breakingviews columnists debate what this means for the country’s invasion of its neighbour. It’s helpful, but not necessarily transformative, for Kyiv’s resistance.
23 min
42
Rebuilding Ukraine: how much and who pays?
Talk of reconstruction may seem premature with Russia still firing missiles at Kyiv. Yet that’s what policymakers and financiers gathered in London this week to debate. In this Viewsroom podcast, Breakingviews columnists discuss the cost, the timetable, and who picks up the tab.
17 min
43
Man United sale heads into messy added time
The Premier League soccer club is in the final stages of a tense bidding war. In this Viewsroom podcast, Breakingviews columnists debate the merits of offers from a Qatari suitor and chemicals tycoon Jim Ratcliffe, and what options minority investors face if they are shut out.
10 min
44
Saudi oil cuts collide with investor scepticism
The Gulf state is slashing oil production in July and convinced OPEC+ to extend cuts to the end of 2024. In this Viewsroom podcast, Breakingviews columnists explain how these restrictions may still not be enough to convince investors to stop worrying about recession.
17 min
45
Syngenta’s bumper IPO will test Chinese appetite
The seeds-to-pesticides group is planning a $9 bln stock market float in Shanghai this year. In this Viewsroom podcast, Breakingviews columnists explain how investors need to get comfortable with its high debt levels and use of toxic chemicals that could hurt its valuation.
16 min
46
Debt ceiling crash will have few victims
President Joe Biden is trying to hammer out a deal with Republican lawmakers to ensure the United States can keep its lights on. In this Viewsroom podcast, Breakingviews columnists explain how even if the world’s largest economy defaults on its debts the damage will be limited.
12 min
47
Erdogan part three would be worse and the same
The Turkish president is in a heated battle to lead the battered country. In this Viewsroom podcast, Breakingviews columnists discuss the risks Turkey faces if he stays in office, his rival’s offering and how the outcome of the election will impact the rest of the world.
10 min
48
Pharma’s obesity gold rush will have limits
Drugmakers Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly are vying for a large slab of the weight loss medications market, which analysts reckon could be worth $100 bln by 2031. In this Viewsroom podcast, Breakingviews columnists discuss how investor optimism in a booming market is unwarranted.
13 min
49
First Republic’s rescue cements ‘too big to fail’
JPMorgan rode to the rescue of the mid-sized lender, which recently became the latest US bank to keel over. In this Viewsroom podcast, Breakingviews columnists discuss the impact of lending giants bulking up further, and whether that itself stores up future risks.
10 min
50
EY’s failed split raises stakes for Plan B
The Big Four professional services firm called off a plan to separate its audit and consulting arms. In this Viewsroom podcast, Breakingviews columnists discuss what went wrong, the implications for its rivals, and the pressure on EY bosses to show the intact business can thrive.
13 min