DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Britain's royal family should follow the lead of major CEOs when it comes to transparency, says expert
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-16 | by ( Mikhaila Friel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The royal household is exempt from freedom of information laws in the UK since it isn't a public authority. Hay suggested that the monarchy should follow the lead of major companies that have been transparent when a CEO becomes unwell. While Kensington Palace was clear that it wouldn't provide a "running commentary" on the princess' well-being, that didn't stop conspiracy theories on her whereabouts. Meanwhile, CNN said it was reviewing all Kensington Palace handouts in light of the incident. Kensington Palace did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Persons: Kate, —, Bob Krist, George Hay, Hay, JP Morgan Chase, Jamie Dimon, António, Osório, Prince William, Catherine, Duchess, Chris Jackson, Phil Chetwynd, Buckingham, King Charles, Charles III, Max Mumby, Graham Smith, Jack Royston, Royston, Kensington Organizations: Service, Brand Finance, Windsor, Getty, Tourism, Frogmore, Reuters, Barclays, CNBC, Lloyds Banking Group, BBC News, BBC, AFP, CNN, YouGov Locations: London, Britain, António Horta, Horta, Kensington, Cambridge, Belgium, Greece, Bulgaria, Republic

☆ ADNOC German oil deal has bad timing, good logic
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Karen Kwok | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), the state-owned Abu Dhabi oil giant he runs, is considering a bid for BASF-owned (BASFn.DE) Wintershall Dea, at a potential $11 billion valuation. The UAE firm is already in talks to buy chemical company Covestro (1COV.DE), Wintershall’s German compatriot, for $12 billion. Abu Dhabi's oil riches mean the UAE firm has the wherewithal to pay 5.5 billion euros for BASF’s Wintershall stake. Any deal could value Wintershall Dea at more than 10 billion euros ($11 billion), Bloomberg reported. BASF holds a 72.7% stake in Wintershall Dea.

Persons: Toru Hanai, Wintershall, Jaber, It’s, Austria’s, Abu, LetterOne, George Hay, Streisand Neto Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, BASF, The, Shell, Russian, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Abu, National Oil Company, Bloomberg, Wintershall Dea . Investment, Thomson Locations: Gastech, Chiba, Japan, Abu Dhabi, The UAE, Germany, Norway, UAE, Europe, United Kingdom, Abu, Russia, Wintershall Dea

☆ Barclays strategic fix will entrench low valuation
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Nov 28 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Barclays (BARC.L) is looking for a valuation cure. Cutting into the investment bank and reallocating to the more stable retail operations may look enticing but is hard to do without upending short-term returns. Still, the currently favoured suggestion of cutting less profitable investment bank clients sounds equally tricky, and might only shave at most a tenth off Barclays’ 219 billion pounds of corporate and investment bank risk-weighted assets. At Credit Suisse-inflated UBS (UBSG.S), which trades near book value, investment bank RWAs are 25%. Even getting Barclays’ corporate and investment RWAs back to 50% of the total would involve shrinking them by over a fifth.

Persons: Venkatakrishnan, Aimee Donnellan, Julius Baer’s, Warren Buffett, George Hay, Streisand Neto Organizations: Reuters, Barclays, Barclays ’, Deutsche Bank, Credit Suisse, UBS, X, Thomson Locations: reallocating

☆ COP28’s big dilemma: fossil fuel cuts, or fudges: podcast
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( George Hay | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

LONDON, Nov 28 (Reuters Breakingviews) - The success of the Dubai climate shindig rests on how much it slashes emissions via cuts to oil production, and how much it relies on carbon storage or removal. In this Exchange podcast, Energy Transitions Commission chair Adair Turner warns against relying on the latter. Listen to the podcastFollow @gfhay on XSubscribe to Breakingviews’ podcasts, Viewsroom and The Exchange. Editing by Thomas ShumOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

Persons: Adair Turner, Thomas Shum Organizations: Reuters, Energy, Thomson Locations: Dubai

☆ Julius Baer’s damage control only goes so far
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The logo of Swiss private bank Julius Baer is seen at their headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland February 2, 2022. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsMILAN, Nov 27 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Julius Baer (BAER.S) has soothed agitated investors’ fears – but only up to a point. The $11 billion Swiss wealth manager said on Monday that 70 million Swiss francs of recently revealed losses stemmed from 606 million Swiss francs of loans to a single corporate client – which Reuters identified as troubled property group Signa. That’s 40% of the bank’s 1.5 billion Swiss francs riskiest credits, an uncomfortably high concentration. That implies a buffer of 450 million Swiss francs over the 14% threshold at which boss Philipp Rickenbacher gets comfortable doing share buybacks.

Persons: Julius Baer, Arnd, ’, –, Philipp Rickenbacher, Julius Baer’s, Lisa Jucca, Warren Buffett, George Hay, Streisand Neto Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, X, Thomson Locations: Zurich, Switzerland, China

☆ Schaeffler’s token bump sets up bigger battle
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Staff Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Nov 27 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Schaeffler’s (SHA_p.DE) token bump for Vitesco Technologies (VTSCn.DE) may not ensure a smooth ride. The 3.4 billion euro German industrial group raised its tender price for shares in auto parts group Vitesco by 3% to 94 euros. On that basis the 94 euros tender price is only a 7% premium above fair value. Assuming enough shareholders now tender, the final merger price for any remaining shares will be set by a third-party valuer. Yet Vitesco’s board, backed by three banks including JPMorgan (JPM.N) and Lazard (LAZ.N), have now published fairness opinions saying the company is worth more than 94 euros.

Persons: Thomas Stierle, David Einhorn’s, Neil Unmack, Warren Buffett, George Hay, Streisand Neto Organizations: REUTERS, Staff, Reuters, Vitesco Technologies, JPMorgan, Lazard, X, Thomson Locations: Frankfurt, Germany, China, Rome

☆ German budget crisis will haunt economy for years
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( Pierre Briancon | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

LONDON, Nov 24 (Reuters Breakingviews) - The German government is working hard to demonstrate the foolishness of the country’s iron-clad ban on large budget deficits. The budget crisis will cripple the economy for years to come, for three reasons. The debt brake, which limits structural budget deficits to 0.35% of GDP, has only been suspended for this year’s budget. Public net investment has been negative for 20 years, Marcel Fratzscher, head of the German Institute for Economic Research, has pointed out. The country is not on the cusp of a debt crisis.

Persons: Carsten Brzeski, That’s, Marcel Fratzscher, Christian Lindner, Lindner, George Hay, Streisand Neto Organizations: Reuters, Constitutional, Organisation for Economic Co, Development, ING, German Economic Institute, Public, German Institute for Economic Research, German, Germany’s, Thomson Locations: Europe, Berlin

☆ Branding’s corporate titans face moment of truth
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Aimee Donnellan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

Now for the first time this century, sales volumes at the big consumer goods manufacturers are falling. In the first nine months of the year, Kraft Heinz said the quantity of its sold items declined by nearly 6 percentage points year-on-year. That’s likely to allow Nestlé, Kraft Heinz and Unilever to see flat or modest increases in 2023 sales, LSEG data shows. Earlier this year, outgoing Kraft Heinz Chief Executive Miguel Patricio said the company lost market share to a branded competitor that spent more. Unilever, Nestlé and Kraft Heinz have all pointed to a slowing of price growth in the coming year.

Persons: Kraft Heinz, Nestlé, ’, Xavier Roger, Kraft, what’s, John Furner, Miguel Patricio, Mars, ”, François, EY, George Hay, Streisand Neto, Thomas Shum Organizations: Reuters, Consumer, Kraft, Unilever, Danone, ’, United Nations, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Nestlé, Kraft Heinz, Target, Reuters Graphics, Obesity, Mondelez, Walmart, “, Thomson Locations: U.S, Europe, Australia, Norway, Chocolat, London

☆ Britain solves half of its wind power problem
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( George Hay | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

REUTERS/Andrew Boyers Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Nov 16 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Maybe UK wind isn’t a busted flush after all. Britain needs 50 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind by 2030, against 14 GW completed now and around 13 GW in development. It will also increase by 52% for floating offshore wind projects, from 116 pounds per MWh to 176 pounds per MWh. In AR6, offshore wind will also be given a separate funding pot in recognition of the high number of projects ready to participate. The UK aims to deliver 50 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind by 2030, including up to 5 GW of floating offshore wind.

Persons: Andrew Boyers, Sweden’s Vattenfall, Jefferies, Denmark’s, LCPDelta, Neil Unmack, Streisand Neto Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Jefferies, Grantham Research, Thomson Locations: Watchfield, Swindon, Britain, British

☆ Alstom takes the direct route to lower credibility
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Nov 15 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Alstom’s (ALSO.PA) problems are piling up. Alstom’s headaches, which include an inventory build-up, project delays and an order slowdown, haven’t materially changed. But to retain its investment grade credit rating the group needs to slash net debt that has jumped 50% to 3.4 billion euros since March. But as Denmark’s Orsted (ORSTED.CO) has found, the only thing investors dislike more than operational upheaval is a message that constantly changes. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

Persons: Gonzalo Fuentes, Henri Poupart, Lafarge, George Hay, taints, Lisa Jucca, Oliver Taslic Organizations: Alstom, REUTERS, Reuters, Caisse, X, Thomson Locations: Saint, Ouen, Paris, France

☆ COP28’s big challenge: green cash for poor states
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( George Hay | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Rather than drawing attention to this paucity of ambition, al-Jaber wants states to commit to trebling global capacity of renewable energy by 2030. Progress in China and the West is largely a function of cash: these regions accounted for 84% of the $1.3 trillion committed to global climate finance in 2022. They calculate that by 2030, developing countries need to invest around $2.4 trillion a year in order to decarbonise their economies. The problem is that the developed world has consistently missed targets to channel climate cash to less developed counterparts. In September al-Jaber announced a $4.5 billion scheme to deploy UAE state cash and private sector resources to help Africa decarbonise.

Persons: al, Jaber, hasn’t, Nicholas Stern, Stern, Ajay Banga, Mark Carney, Shriti Vadera, Larry Fink, Joko Widodo, UAE Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed, Nahyan, Breakingviews, Peter Thal Larsen, Oliver Taslic, Thomas Shum Organizations: Reuters, United, Conference of, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, United Nations, International Energy Agency, The, IEA, World Bank, concessional, Bank, Bank of England, Prudential, BlackRock, U.S, Indonesian, Africa decarbonise, UAE Crown, Thomson Locations: United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi, Paris, China, The U.S, British, Egypt, Indonesia, Japan, South Africa, Vietnam, U.S, Al, UAE, Africa, COP28, Dubai

☆ Orsted’s ‘deputy heads must roll’ stance is risky
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

General view of the Walney Extension offshore wind farm operated by Orsted off the coast of Blackpool, Britain September 5, 2018. REUTERS/Phil Noble Acquire Licensing RightsSINGAPORE, Nov 14 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Orsted’s (ORSTED.CO) recent implosion has finally prompted a reaction. Denmark’s $17 billion offshore wind producer on Tuesday said Chief Financial Officer Daniel Lerup and Chief Operating Officer Richard Hunter were stepping down. The COO is responsible for the procurement, construction, and operations of the wind farms, and supplier delays accounted for the lion’s share of Orsted’s U.S. writedowns. Yet Mads Nipper, who became Orsted chief executive in early 2021 and handpicked the departing duo, has been spared for now.

Persons: Orsted, Phil Noble, Daniel Lerup, Richard Hunter, Hunter, Lerup, Mads Nipper, Henrik Poulsen, Yawen Chen, Cameron, George Hay, Streisand Neto Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, X, Thomson Locations: Walney, Blackpool, Britain, Rights SINGAPORE, United States, U.S

☆ Sunak rolls the dice with Cameron resurrection
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Nov 13 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Rishi Sunak's latest pivot is riskier than it might look. The British prime minister has appointed former leader David Cameron as foreign secretary, part of a reshuffle in which he sacked firebrand Home Secretary Suella Braverman. The move suggests Sunak may be looking to appeal to centrist voters ahead of next year’s national ballot, but that may also make his party more fragile. Cameron, who left parliament in 2016 after proposing a referendum on Brexit he then lost, isn’t an obvious choice for Sunak. Centrist voters may not forgive him for allowing an EU referendum and jumping ship shortly afterwards.

Persons: David Cameron, Suella Braverman, Cameron, Keir Starmer, Sunak, Neil Unmack, George Hay, Streisand Neto Organizations: Reuters, firebrand, Greensill Capital, Conservative, X, Thomson

☆ UK takeover net gets only slightly less bothersome
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak gestures during an in-conversation event with Tesla and SpaceX’s CEO Elon Musk in London, Britain, Thursday, Nov. 2, 2023. Kirsty Wigglesworth/Pool via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Nov 13 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Rishi Sunak’s latest policy target is his own government’s M&A rules. The UK prime minister is consulting on changes to the framework for assessing when to block takeovers on national security grounds. The National Security and Investment Act gave the government power to “call in” and impose changes or block deals in specific sectors, such as defence. Moreover, stakeholders can only know whether a deal aligns with state industrial objectives if the UK has clearly understandable sector strategies in the first place.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Tesla, Elon Musk, Kirsty Wigglesworth, Sunak’s, It’s, Neil Unmack, Cameron, George Hay, Oliver Taslic Organizations: British, REUTERS Acquire, Reuters, National Security and Investment, X, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, ”, China

☆ Insurers can underwrite dirty energy with impunity
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Nov 9 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Insurers used to get heat for underwriting fossil fuels. Membership of bodies like the Net-Zero Insurance Alliance (NZIA) was supposed to mean financial groups would cease supporting oil, gas and coal, speeding the pace of decarbonisation. Similarly, five of the Lloyd’s insurance market’s managing agents – RiverStone, Chaucer, RenaissanceRe, Ascot and Aegis – have not implemented any restrictions on fossil fuels. Insurers have even fewer qualms about supporting oil and gas. Governments have made energy security a key priority since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and can reasonably argue that abrupt halts to backing fossil fuels will just mean higher energy prices.

Persons: Warren, Berkshire Hathaway, Starr don’t, – RiverStone, Chaucer, Insuramore, Pamela Barbaglia, George Hay, Oliver Taslic Organizations: Reuters, Zero Insurance, Axa, Everest, Aegis, Reuters Graphics, X, Bayer, SEC, Paramount, Thomson Locations: Zurich, PICC, RenaissanceRe, Ascot, Ukraine

☆ Canary Wharf may yet avoid once-a-decade upheaval
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( Yawen Chen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

LONDON, Nov 6 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Canary Wharf tends to have a new owner every decade. A recent 300 million pound equity injection implies they will buck the trend. Brookfield and the QIA, which own the estate’s developer Canary Wharf Group through a 50-50 partnership, ostensibly look to be backing a losing horse. Factoring in all its assets on the Canary Wharf estate, Brookfield as of September valued it all at $6.1 billion, or 5 billion pounds – over 2 billion pounds more than what the duo put in eight years ago. Canary Wharf could be owned by highly leveraged, shallow-pocketed types.

Persons: –, Paul Reichmann’s Olympia, Morgan, Breakingviews, dory, George Hay, Oliver Taslic Organizations: Reuters, HSBC, HK, London Docklands, Qatar Investment Authority, Canary, York, Morgan Stanley, Jefferies, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Brookfield, Wharf Group, Thomson Locations: Brookfield, –, CWG, City, Wharf

☆ EU’s best way to close its US growth gap: growth
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BRUSSELS, Oct 26 (Reuters Breakingviews) - The European Union would have a better chance of catching the U.S. if it aimed for growth, instead of rearranging the regulatory deck chairs. Lowering political barriers in the 27-country single market could boost investment without breaking the bank on subsidies, Jean-François van Boxmeer told Breakingviews, citing a new European Round Table for Industry report. In the telecommunications sector, the European Commission has kept four providers in most of the EU’s markets, and screens out Chinese equipment-makers over security concerns. The European Commission reckons completing the single market by 2030 would hike EU GDP by 12%, or 713 billion euros. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

Persons: François van Boxmeer, Breakingviews, van Boxmeer, Jacob Wallenberg, Rebecca Christie, George Hay, Streisand Neto Organizations: Reuters, European, Vodafone, Reuters Graphics Business, EU, European Commission, Investor, X, News Corp, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS

☆ New-look Unilever retains its old-style opacity
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Unilever logo is displayed on Dove soap boxes in this illustration taken on January 17, 2022. Back in 2017 Unilever fought off a Kraft Heinz (KHC.O) takeover approach by pledging a 20% operating margin; now there just isn’t a target. But it leaves a question mark over Unilever’s long-term direction. And it might leave long-term critics like fund manager Terry Smith still griping about opacity. In January Smith complained that Unilever had revealed the price tag on only three of 27 acquisitions in its Beauty and Wellbeing division over eight years.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Hein Schumacher’s, Kraft Heinz, Alan Jope, Terry Smith, Smith, Schumacher, George Hay, Peter Thal Larsen, Oliver Taslic Organizations: Unilever, REUTERS, Reuters, Kraft, X, Thomson

☆ Europe’s oil majors are stuck as M&A party-poopers
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Yawen Chen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Oil pump jack is seen in front of displayed U.S. dollar banknote and decreasing stock graph in this illustration taken, October 8, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Oct 26 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Back in June the boss of $220 billion UK oil major Shell (SHEL.L), Wael Sawan, told investors mergers and acquisitions were not his priority. The decision of $430 billion Exxon Mobil (XOM.N) and $295 billion Chevron (CVX.N) to acquire $60 billion Pioneer Natural Resources (PXD.N) and $53 billion Hess (HES.N) respectively ought to change the game. But it would remain a stretch for either to ape their U.S. peers and buy a big oil group. Hess investors will receive 1.025 shares of Chevron for each share held, worth $171 per share based on the closing price on Oct. 20.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Wael Sawan, Hess, Murray Auchincloss, Patrick Pouyanné, ’, Shell, Neste, Warren Buffett’s, Pouyanné, George Hay, Streisand Neto Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Exxon Mobil, Chevron, Natural Resources, Exxon, Shell, Occidental Petroleum, Exxon Mobil’s, Thomson Locations: Finnish, Denmark, U.S, Occidental

☆ West’s latest China corporate risk: medical graft
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( Karen Kwok | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

An employee wearing a face mask is seen at a workshop of computed tomography (CT) scanners of medical device firm Siemens Healthineers in Shanghai, China, February 24, 2020. REUTERS/Aly Song Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Oct 23 (Reuters Breakingviews) - China corporate risk has spread to Western medical device companies. According to BMI analysts, about two-thirds of Chinese medical devices used by local hospitals and clinics are imported from Western groups. That implies a direct hit to the order and revenue growth for medical device firms. Domestic brands, which have historically lagged in the advanced end of the medical device market, took the whole of last decade just to hike their share from around 20% to 30%, Deloitte says.

Persons: Aly, Philips, George Hay, Oliver Taslic Organizations: Siemens, REUTERS, Reuters, Volkswagen, Philips, GE Healthcare, BMI, National Health Commission, Siemens Healthineers, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Deloitte, GE, Healthineers, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, China, People’s Republic, Beijing, United States

☆ Israel’s fossil fuel boon becomes less clear-cut
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( Yawen Chen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

LONDON, Oct 19 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Israel’s growing gas sector has a significance that extends east and west. Analysts at Israel’s Bank Leumi had estimated that exports would jump to at least 11 bcm this year. Israel’s 1,087 bcm of gas reserves in 2022 yielded 21 bcm of production, of which 9 bcm was exported, with a doubling of exports to Israel’s main market, Egypt. Still, Israel’s gas sector has gone from a helping hand to a potential headache. Follow @ywchen1 on XCONTEXT NEWSDutch TTF Natural Gas Futures, Europe’s benchmark gas index, were trading at 48 euros per megawatt hour as of 0823 GMT on Oct. 19.

Persons: –, Yair Lapid, Israel’s Bank Leumi, It’s, NewMed, Abraham, Gaza’s, Isabel Dotzenrath, George Hay, Streisand Neto Organizations: Reuters, United, United Arab Emirates, Israel’s Bank, LNG, Abu, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, NewMed Energy, Abraham Accords, BP, Natural Gas Futures, Intercontinental Exchange, Chevron, Mediterranean Gas, Oil, Energy, Thomson Locations: United Arab, Israel, Europe, Russia, Egypt, Brussels, Abu Dhabi, Ahli, ’, Jihad, Gaza, Jordan, Denver

☆ Saudi is wild card in Middle East’s new turmoil
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( George Hay | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman attends the 18th consultative meeting of the leaders of the GCC & the Gulf summit with the central Asian countries C5, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, July 19, 2023. Saudi Press Agency/Handout via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Oct 18 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Mohammed bin Salman is the wild card in the Middle East’s new conflict. Saudi Arabia also needs prices above $85 a barrel in order to balance its budget. Saudi Arabia also needs to consider the views of international investors, though. For now, Saudi Arabia can count on the support of global bankers and fund managers.

Persons: Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Mohammed bin Salman, Joe Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s, Biden, Netanyahu, International Energy Agency reckons, Jamal Khashoggi, nix, Larry Fink, JPMorgan’s, Jamie Dimon, Israel, Antony Blinken, Jordan, ” Blinken, ”, “, Hossein Amirabdollahian, Al Jazeera, Peter Thal Larsen, Oliver Taslic Organizations: GCC, Saudi Press Agency, Handout, REUTERS Acquire, Reuters, Hamas, Israel . U.S, MbS, United, Gaza, International Energy Agency, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Saudi, kingdom’s Public Investment Fund, U.S, PGA, Foreign Investment, Telefonica, STC, BlackRock’s, Future Investment, United States, Diplomats, don’t, Palestinian, Israeli, United Arab, Iran’s, Thomson Locations: Saudi, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Iran, Palestinian, Israel ., United States, Gaza, OPEC, Russia, Saudi Aramco, Riyadh, Palestine, United, Amman, Jordan, Bahrain, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Lebanon, America

☆ St James’s Place adds extra twist to wealth pain
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Oct 13 (Reuters Breakingviews) - St James’s Place (SJP.L) is in a tricky spot. Wealth managers around the world are finding it harder to justify their fees as interest rates in countries like the UK have topped 5%. Friday’s 16% drop in the 4 billion pound UK wealth manager’s shares reflects its problematic twist on that trend. The UK firm is under pressure from regulators to overhaul its fee structure to comply with new rules brought in by the Financial Conduct Authority. SJP, run by CEO Andrew Croft, has been facing intense scrutiny due to its complex fee structure and stiff penalties for clients who look to withdraw their cash.

Persons: Andrew Croft, SJP, Aimee Donnellan, George Hay, Oliver Taslic Organizations: Reuters, Financial, Authority, Reuters Graphics Reuters, X, Infosys, Ericsson, Thomson Locations: Europe

☆ Ericsson $3 bln hit ticks most boxes for M&A folly
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Mike Blake Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Oct 12 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Börje Ekholm’s overpriced M&A has come home to roost. The $15 billion Swedish telco equipment maker’s chief executive said on Wednesday he was writing down 50% of the value of software company Vonage. While the 32 billion Swedish crowns ($3 billion) hit is a non-cash impairment, Vonage remains a major goof. Ericsson bought it for $6.2 billion as recently as November 2021, in cash, and the deal only closed three months ago. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

Persons: Mike Blake, Breakingviews, Ekholm, Karen Kwok, George Hay, Streisand Neto Organizations: T's, REUTERS, Reuters, Ericsson, Deutsche Telekom, Reuters Graphics Reuters, X, Qantas, Thomson Locations: San Diego , California, U.S, Brussels

Private credit players like HPS Investment Partners and Blue Owl Capital (OWL.N) have a workaround, but it could prompt a painful hangover. Cashed-up private credit funds offered sums previously unseen outside of traditional bank financing on riskier deals. Private credit assets swelled 460% to over $1.4 trillion between 2010 and the end of 2022, Preqin says. Reuters GraphicsThe attraction of “mezz” and similar exotic lending isn’t just that it helps private credit source new deals. In 2021, that dynamic meant private loans briefly became cheaper than liquid, tradable loans – flying in the face of financial orthodoxy.

Persons: –, Zendesk, Preqin, LSEG, HPS, Goldman, Blackstone, Angelo Gordon, dealmaking, George Hay, Oliver Taslic Organizations: Reuters, HPS Investment Partners, Owl, Blackstone, Apollo, Treasury, Private, Management, Partners, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Sabre, Companies, Wolf, ADC Therapeutics, Equity, Thomson Locations: EBITDA

Search resuls for: "George Hay"

25 mentions found