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☆ Roche’s late obesity punt offers wider market cure
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Dec 4 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Roche’s (ROG.S) foray into the prospective $100 billion obesity market can bring wider benefits. On Monday, the $224 billion Swiss pharma group said it had agreed to take over weight-loss drug developer Carmot Therapeutics for $2.7 billion. Market leader Novo Nordisk (NOVOb.CO) is already selling obesity drugs in the U.S. and parts of Europe. Still, Schinecker’s obesity bet could turn successful if it ends up undercutting obesity pioneers on prices. With over 1 billion people globally classed as seriously overweight, other drugmakers will follow Roche on the obesity bandwagon.

Persons: drugmaker Roche, Arnd, Eli Lilly’s, Thomas Schinecker, Eli Lilly, Eccogene, Roche, Aimee Donnellan, Neiman Marcus, Lisa Jucca, Oliver Taslic Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Swiss pharma, Carmot Therapeutics, Novo Nordisk, U.S . Food, Drug Administration, AstraZeneca, Novo, X, Saks, Thomson Locations: Basel, Switzerland, U.S, Europe, Hong Kong

☆ Ferrovial ends bumpy Heathrow ride on a high
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Nov 29 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Ferrovial (FERF.AS) may be relieved to be exiting one of the world’s busiest airports. The Spanish infrastructure giant has sold its final stake in Heathrow, left over after its 2006 acquisition of BAA, which owned the hub along with Stansted and Gatwick. Regulators forced BAA to sell airports like Gatwick on competition concerns, and Ferrovial later trimmed its stake to just 25%. In 2020 Covid-19 struck, and Heathrow has since been locked in disputes with airlines like British Airways, who accuse it of overcharging. The price paid by Ardian and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund values Heathrow including debt, at 25 billion pounds, a 27% premium to its regulated asset base.

Persons: –, Aimee Donnellan, Julius Baer’s, Lisa Jucca, Streisand Neto Organizations: Reuters, BAA, Stansted, Regulators, Gatwick, Heathrow, British Airways, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, Jefferies, X, Barclays, Thomson Locations: Spanish, Heathrow, Gatwick, It’s

☆ Richemont digital strategy goes back to square one
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Lisa Jucca | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The logo of the luxury goods company Richemont is pictured at its headquarters in Bellevue near Geneva, Switzerland, June 2, 2022. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse Acquire Licensing RightsMILAN, Nov 29 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Johann Rupert’s digital strategy may be heading back to the drawing board. But even if Rupert can extricate himself from the Farfetch situation, Richemont’s digital plans will still be unclear. In August 2022 Richemont agreed to sell a 47.5% stake in its digital platform, Yoox Net-A-Porter, to Farfetch. Shares in Richemont were up 1.5% by 1100 GMT on Nov. 29.

Persons: Denis Balibouse, Johann Rupert’s, Porter, Cartier, Rupert, Farfetch, José Neves, Richemont, Financiere Richemont, Peter Thal Larsen, Oliver Taslic Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, The Telegraph, Financiere, Telegraph, Thomson Locations: Bellevue, Geneva, Switzerland, Swiss, U.S, YNAP, New York, Richemont

☆ 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

☆ Monte Paschi rebirth is vindication for Rome
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS / Jennifer Lorenzini Acquire Licensing RightsMILAN, Nov 21 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Italy’s privatisation of bailed-out lender Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena (BMPS.MI) may finally be on the right track. The sale price was nearly 50% higher than last year’s high-stakes 2.5 billion euro capital increase, which cost taxpayers 1.6 billion euros. Rome took advantage of a near-30% rally in Monte Paschi’s shares during the month leading up to the sale. Granted, Rome will never recoup the around 5.4 billion euros it burnt to save Monte Paschi in 2017. Two years ago, interest rates were low and Monte Paschi's recovery seemed a distant prospect.

Persons: Jennifer Lorenzini, Siena, Monte Paschi, Andrea Orcel, Lisa Jucca, Banks, Liam Proud, Streisand Neto Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Banca Monte dei, Treasury, X, Walmart, Thomson Locations: Monte dei, Siena, Italy, Rome, Monte Paschi’s, Monte

☆ EU fiscal pact ignores green elephant in the room
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Lisa Jucca | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

REUTERS/Henry Nicholls Acquire Licensing RightsMILAN, Nov 21 (Reuters Breakingviews) - The European Union’s troubled fiscal pact, once branded as "stupid" by former European Commission President Romano Prodi, has reached its sell-by date. Average EU debt has been consistently above the 60% target. NEW COURSEThe proposed revamp of the fiscal pact, now under discussion, is an improvement. BRAVE NEW DEBT WORLDFor all of Brussels’ reforming zeal, Europe’s future debt rules ignore a giant elephant in the room: climate change. Another option is to remove green investments from the fiscal rules’ deficit calculations.

Persons: Henry Nicholls, Romano Prodi, Christian Lindner, Giorgia Meloni, Breakingviews, Bruno Le Maire, Olaf Scholz’s, Mario Draghi, Francesco Guerrera, Thomas Shum Organizations: Trust, REUTERS, Reuters, European, Reuters Graphics Reuters, European Commission, French Finance, EU, Intel, European Central Bank, Italian, Union, Thomson Locations: Green Park, London, Britain, Maastricht Treaty, Germany, it's, Italy, Greece, Brussels, EU, United States, Spain, Europe

☆ How the West can win the green metals race: podcast
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Lisa Jucca | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

MILAN, Nov 21 (Reuters Breakingviews) - China dominates the processing of stuff essential to the energy transition. Most of all, Europe needs to be better at recycling, critical materials expert Gavin Harper explains in the Exchange podcast. Listen to the podcastFollow @LJucca 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: Gavin Harper, Thomas Shum Organizations: MILAN, Reuters, Exchange, Thomson Locations: China, Europe

☆ Choppy luxury waters lift Burberry turnaround bar
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MILAN, Nov 16 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Stuttering consumer confidence is complicating CEO Jonathan Akeroyd’s attempts to revive Burberry (BRBY.L). Like-for-like retail sales in the quarter to end-September grew a dismal 1% at the UK maker of fancy trench coats, below analyst expectations of 4%. But brands attempting a revamp, like Burberry or Kering’s (PRTP.PA) star label Gucci, are likely to suffer more than rivals. Akeroyd sounded confident that new designer Daniel Lee’s first collection, which was launched in shops in September, will energise shoppers. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

Persons: Jonathan Akeroyd’s, Gucci, Daniel Lee’s, Lisa Jucca, Neil Unmack, Streisand Neto Organizations: MILAN, Reuters, Burberry, X, Alstom, Thomson Locations: China, U.S

☆ 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

☆ IPO laggards’ race to the bottom misses the target
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Lisa Jucca | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

A view shows the Milan stock exchange building, as stocks slid in the first hours of trading after fears that the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank could trigger a broader financial crisis, in Milan, Italy, March 13, 2023. REUTERS/Claudia Greco Acquire Licensing RightsMILAN, Nov 10 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Italy is scrambling to make its stock market more attractive. Over the past few years, some prominent companies have moved their listing venue abroad. Companies rushing to list in the Netherlands are no doubt attracted by its lax approach to companies with dual voting share classes. Doubts over the sustainability of Rome’s high public debt push up listed companies’ cost of capital, depressing their valuations and making the stock market less appealing.

Persons: Claudia Greco, Giorgia, Rishi, Agnelli, Neil Unmack, Oliver Taslic Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Ministry, Companies, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Financial, Thomson Locations: Milan, Silicon, Italy, Amsterdam, New York, Paris, Italian, Netherlands, Britain, United States, London

☆ Arm’s public-market journey starts with a stumble
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A smartphone with a displayed Arm Ltd logo is placed on a computer motherboard in this illustration taken March 6, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Nov 9 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Investors in the $56 billion semiconductor group Arm may be in for a bumpier ride than they hoped. The good news is that CEO Rene Haas expects revenue in the fiscal year to March of roughly $3 billion, in line with analysts' expectations. The less good news, which dragged Arm’s shares down 8%, is that Haas said revenue in the fiscal quarter to December might be anywhere from $720 million to $800 million. Admittedly, at the midpoint of the range that’s only $10 million below the mean analyst forecast, per LSEG.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Rene Haas, Haas, Liam Proud, Lisa Jucca, Streisand Neto Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, X, SEC, Thomson

☆ UK fashion retailer can revive discount price tag
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Nov 7 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Primark’s improved fast-fashion appeal can power a valuation revival. Assuming sales at the retailer were to grow 7% annually, just half of the 15% jump of last year, they would hit 9.6 billion pounds. If margins were to rise to 10%, that would add 235 million pounds to the conglomerate’s operating profit, which stood at 1.5 billion pounds last year, Breakingviews calculations show. If Primark’s input costs keep falling and it successfully expands in the U.S., it can narrow this gap. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

Persons: Aimee Donnellan, Aston Martin, Lisa Jucca, Oliver Taslic Organizations: Reuters, British Foods, Foods, X, Starbucks, Paramount, Macquarie, Thomson Locations: U.S

☆ Shell’s shrinking green pledge risks backfiring
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Yawen Chen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

REUTERS/Callaghan O’Hare Acquire Licensing RightsSINGAPORE, Nov 2 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Shell (SHEL.L) CEO Wael Sawan has upped the UK group’s quarterly buyback plan while cutting back on unprofitable low-carbon activities. His pivot back into fossil fuels has shielded the $217 billion company from the wind energy troubles now ensnaring European peer BP (BP.L) and renewables giant Orsted (ORSTED.CO). But the strategy can work only as long as volatile energy prices stay high. Shell’s $6.2 billion third-quarter adjusted net profit shrunk by a third from a year earlier but came in line with analysts’ expectations. So far this year, the total return for Shell’s shareholders has hit 17%, above rivals like BP and TotalEnergies (TTEF.PA).

Persons: Wael Sawan, Daniel Yergin, Callaghan O’Hare, Sawan, Shell, pare, Lisa Jucca, Streisand Neto Organizations: Shell, P Global, REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, BP, EV, Nature Energy, Exxon Mobil, Chevron, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Carbon Solutions, Renewables, Energy Solutions, Thomson Locations: Houston , Texas, U.S, Rights SINGAPORE

☆ Foxconn’s China woes expose supply chain dilemma
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( Chan Ka Sing | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Yet, coming less than 100 days ahead of Taiwan’s presidential election in January, it is difficult to see surprise tax raids on Foxconn as having no geopolitical implications. For multinationals, the tax audits expose Foxconn’s difficulty in navigating the global business environment as tensions across the Taiwan Strait escalate. For global onlookers anxious to reduce their Chinese dependency, Foxconn could be the most telling case on the true cost of reshoring. The audits come less than three months ahead of Taiwan’s presidential election in January 2024 and amid Foxconn’s drive to expand its production outside China. Foxconn’s founder Terry Gou, who stepped down as company chief in 2019, is running as an independent candidate in Taiwan’s upcoming presidential election.

Persons: Foxconn, Terry Gou, It’s, Foxconn’s, Lisa Jucca, Thomas Shum, Katrina Hamlin Organizations: Reuters, Apple, Hai Precision Industry, Global Times, Eastern, Democratic Progressive Party, Foxconn, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, China, Taiwan, Foxconn, Beijing, Vietnam, Republic, Shanghai, Taipei

☆ How to spur investments in greener power grids: podcast
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( Lisa Jucca | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

TRENTO, Italy, Oct 24 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Electricity networks need to be upgraded and adapted to a carbon-free world. With returns uncertain, attracting cash is not easy, Secure Meters CEO Suket Singhal argues in this Exchange podcast. Listen to the podcastFollow @LJucca on XSubscribe to Breakingviews’ podcasts, Viewsroom and The Exchange. Editing by Oliver TaslicOur 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: Suket Singhal, Oliver Taslic Organizations: Reuters, Thomson Locations: TRENTO, Italy

☆ China’s graphite curbs send green warning shot
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( Lisa Jucca | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Global demand for graphite, seen at 770,000 tonnes this year, is expected to treble by 2033, according to estimates by Fastmarkets graphite analyst Georgi Georgiev. China currently accounts for 64% of the global production of natural graphite and more than half of the artificial equivalent. More importantly, the People’s Republic refines more than 90% of the graphite into high-purity material used in EV batteries. This echoes the approach China used earlier this year to restrict exports of gallium and germanium, two metals used in chips and fibre optic cables, triggering a fall in international shipments. Mining graphite in Europe, which wants to lead in EV adoption, is simply more expensive, says Aiden Lavelle, CEO of miner European Green Metals.

Persons: Georgi Georgiev, Aiden Lavelle, Carmakers, Una Galani, Streisand Neto Organizations: Reuters, People’s, EV, Shanghai Putailai, Energy Technology, Metals, Volkswagen, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, China, Republic, Shanghai, Finland, Sweden, Beijing, Western, Europe, U.S

☆ Putin and Xi’s strengthening bond has a weakness
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( Lisa Jucca | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The $190 billion two-way trade relationship is up 29% since 2021, and has roughly doubled since Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014. A warm meeting between Putin and Xi will reaffirm China’s intention to carry on this robust business. Yet Russia’s lack of viable trade avenues makes its leader look more like a vassal than a peer to the Chinese president. Follow @LJucca on XCONTEXT NEWSRussian President Vladimir Putin is attending the Belt and Road Forum in Beijing on Oct. 17-18 where he is expected to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping. China and Russia declared a "no limits" partnership in February 2022 during a previous Putin visit to Beijing, just days before Moscow troops launched an invasion of Ukraine.

Persons: Vladimir Putin’s, Xi Jinping, Brent, Putin, Xi, Vladimir Putin, Una Galani, Thomas Shum Organizations: Reuters, People’s, Reuters Graphics, Bank of France, Centre for Research, Energy, Clean, HK, Forum, Soviet Union, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, Beijing, Ukraine, People’s Republic, Crimea, Reuters Graphics Moscow, Russia, Europe, U.S, Republic, China, Hague, Moscow

☆ Tycoon’s lithium grab leaves investors hanging
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( Antony Currie | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Australia’s richest person has stifled Albemarle’s (ALB.N) A$6.6 billion ($4.2 billion) pursuit of lithium producer Liontown Resources (LTR.AX) with deft use of the country’s takeover rules. At A$3 a share, the offer represented a near-100% premium to Liontown’s undisturbed price. And because she never paid more than the A$3 a share Albemarle put on the table, her share purchases did not count as a superior offer. CONTEXT NEWSU.S.-based lithium producer Albemarle on Oct. 16 said it has abandoned its A$6.6 billion ($4.2 billion) offer for smaller Australian rival Liontown Resources, citing “growing complexities associated with the proposed transaction” as a reason. The firm said that in building its stake it never paid more than A$3 per share, the same price as Albemarle’s takeover offer.

Persons: Gina Rinehart, Kent Masters, Rinehart, Albemarle, Masters, Liontown, Kathleen, It’s, Hancock, Lisa Jucca, Katrina Hamlin, Thomas Shum Organizations: MELBOURNE, Reuters, Liontown, Kent, Liontown Resources, Thomson Locations: Western Australia, Hancock, Liontown

☆ Singapore policy review shift is sign of times
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( Anshuman Daga | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The logo of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) is pictured at its building in Singapore in this February 21, 2013 file photo. The city-state’s central bank unexpectedly announced on Friday that it would shift to quarterly meetings to assess monetary settings from 2024, switching from biannual reviews. Even though it took local economists by surprise, Singapore’s decision to introduce more frequent monetary policy reviews looked inevitable. Singapore’s unique monetary policy arrangements, and its trade-based economy, made it increasingly hard to use a too-rigid setup. The announcement came after the MAS kept its monetary policy settings unchanged, as expected, and pointed to both upside and downside risks to inflation.

Persons: Edgar Su, Chia Der, it’s, Chia, Lisa Jucca, Thomas Shum Organizations: Monetary Authority of Singapore, Rights, Reuters, Monetary Authority of, Swiss National Bank, People’s Bank of, Singapore, MAS, Ministry of Trade, Industry, Thomson Locations: Singapore, Rights SINGAPORE, Monetary Authority of Singapore, People’s Bank of China, China, United States, Ukraine, Israel

☆ German voters send ominous message to Brussels
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Oct 9 (Reuters Breakingviews) - German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s resounding defeat in key local elections on Sunday will be as traumatic in Brussels as in Berlin. Voters dealt a sharp blow to all three parties in Scholz’s centre-left executive. The victory of conservative opposition party CDU came together with a strong showing of far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD), who won 15% of the votes in the populous state of Bavaria and 18% in Hesse. In Berlin, divisions on the pace and cost of the green transition between the Green Party and the liberal FDP, whose leader Christian Lindner is the coalition’s finance minister, have already led to a watering down of a planned boiler ban from 2024. In Brussels, a German government preoccupied with its domestic travails may be unable to rally other member states around the sort of compromise proposals the EU needs to clinch some key deals.

Persons: Olaf Scholz’s, Christian Lindner, Scholz, Pierre Briancon, Sandoz, Lisa Jucca, Oliver Taslic Organizations: Reuters, Voters, Social Democrats, Greens, European Union, Green Party, X, Alstom, Brookfield, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Berlin, Scholz’s, Bavaria, Hesse, Germany, France, EU

☆ Sandoz owners are banking on margin cure
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Oct 4 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Sandoz’s (SDZ.S) investors are giving CEO Richard Saynor the benefit of the doubt. Shares in the generics drug maker, which $217 billion pharma giant Novartis (NOVN.S) has finally managed to spin off, started to trade in Zurich on Wednesday. There was a risk that Novartis investors, who have long called for a sale or spinoff, would quickly dump the new Sandoz shares. At current market prices, Sandoz is worth nearly $11 billion, or $14.4 billion once net debt is added in. For now, Novartis investors seem to believe Sandoz’s treatment may be effective.

Persons: Richard Saynor, Sandoz, Aimee Donnellan, Lisa Jucca, Streisand Neto Organizations: Reuters, Novartis, Sandoz, Hikma Pharmaceuticals, X, Brookfield pounces, Temasek, Thomson Locations: Zurich, That’s

☆ Birkenstock walks tightrope with $11 bln price tag
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A pair of shoes is pictured in a window of a Birkenstock footwear store in Berlin, Germany, January 21, 2021. REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Oct 2 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Birkenstock is taking a bold step forward. Fresh from publicity from the Barbie movie, the German sandals maker is targeting a valuation of up to $11 billion, including debt, in its New York stock listing next week. Hoping to build confidence among investors, owner L Catterton has secured the backing of anchor investors including Bernard Arnault’s investing vehicle Financière Agache and Norway’s wealth fund. At $44 to $49 per stock, the offer values the group’s equity between $8.3 billion and $9.2 billion.

Persons: Fabrizio Bensch, L Catterton, Bernard Arnault’s, Martens, Pamela Barbaglia, Lisa Jucca, Oliver Taslic 私, 「 Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Nike, 「 Reuters Locations: Berlin, Germany, New York

☆ Cellnex’s Nordic towers sale is a good omen
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Sept 29 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Marco Patuano is starting with a small but firm step. After years of M&A-fuelled expansion, the new CEO wants to return Cellnex to investment grade and focus on organic growth and efficiency. Cellnex shares shot up 4% Friday, adding 1 billion euros to the group’s market capitalisation. If Patuano can keep finding buyers for his assets, he may soon return his company to investment grade. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

Persons: Marco Patuano, Patuano, Pierre Briancon, Lisa Jucca, Streisand Neto Organizations: Reuters, X, Thomson Locations: Italian

☆ Cable makers are green investing’s dark horses
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( Lisa Jucca | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

An electrical power pylon with high-voltage power lines is seen next to wind turbines near Weselitz, Germany November 18, 2022. Moving away from fossil fuels will require laying thousands of new and stronger power lines carrying electricity from source to end users. Putting the additional earnings on Prysmian’s expected EBITDA multiple for 2026 of 8 times would generate an additional enterprise value of 2 billion euros, nearly 20% above today’s 11.6 billion euros. One potential snag is that cable makers’ annual capacity for high-voltage cables is currently only 6 billion euros per year. The volume of high-voltage cable orders has risen to more than 10 billion euros last year from around 3 billion euros in 2019, according to industry and analyst estimates.

Persons: Lisi Niesner, Prysmian, George Hay, Streisand Neto Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, International Energy Agency, JPMorgan, Reuters Breakingviews, Thomson Locations: Weselitz, Germany, Europe, North America, Britain, Denmark, China

☆ Italy’s fiscal weakness toughens its green plight
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni looks on, on the day of the state funeral of the former Italian President and senator, Giorgio Napolitano in Rome, Italy, September 26, 2023. Rome also cut its GDP forecasts to 0.8% and 1.2% over the next two years, from 1% and 1.5% before. The ballooning deficit is chiefly a result of ill-fated renovation incentives introduced by previous governments and amounting to some 140 billion euros, or 7% of Italy’s GDP. Record-high euro zone interest rates are also increasing the cost of servicing Italy’s mammoth debt, seen at 140% of GDP by year-end. The risk is that Rome's green transition becomes a victim of its fiscal challenges.

Persons: Giorgia Meloni, Giorgio Napolitano, Yara, Europe’s, Lisa Jucca, ’, quagmire, Neil Unmack, Streisand Neto Organizations: Italian, REUTERS, Reuters, X, Thomson Locations: Italian, Rome, Italy, Ukraine

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