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☆ Purdue mess pits drug victims against due process
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Robert Cyran | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

That’s the dilemma currently facing the parties involved in the case regarding Purdue Pharma, including states, individuals, and the company’s founding Sackler family. According to the lawsuit, the family withdrew $11 billion from Purdue, but only contributed $6 billion to the settlement. Side with the DOJ, and the Supreme Court could clean up the bankruptcy process that often shields individuals and companies. For now, though, either the victims of the opioid epidemic will have to wait, or those wanting to end bankruptcy shields will. Follow @rob_cyran on XCONTEXT NEWSThe Supreme Court heard arguments on Dec. 4 over whether to approve the Purdue Pharmaceuticals bankruptcy agreement.

Persons: Sackler, Elena Kagan, Neil Gorsuch, Kagan, Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, They’ve, Lauren Silva Laughlin, Sharon Lam Organizations: Reuters, U.S, Supreme, Purdue Pharma, U.S . Department of Justice, Purdue, Liberal, DOJ, Purdue Pharmaceuticals, Thomson

☆ Subsidies are crucial to the green transition: podcast
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Una Galani | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Andrew Forrest, Chairman and Founder, Fortescue Metals Group speaks at the Global Energy Transition 2022 conference in New York City, New York, U.S. June 14, 2022. REUTERS/David Dee Delgado Acquire Licensing RightsMUMBAI, Dec 5 (Reuters Breakingviews) - The world is short not of capital, but of projects to fund and sovereigns willing to share risk. In this Exchange podcast, Fortescue’s (FMG.AX) Andrew Forrest discusses why all countries need an IRA and the lessons of leading the world’s fourth-largest iron ore miner through change. Listen to the podcastFollow @ugalani on XSubscribe to Breakingviews’ podcasts, Viewsroom and The Exchange. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

Persons: Andrew Forrest, David Dee Delgado, Thomas Shum Organizations: Fortescue Metals, Global, REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, Thomson Locations: New York City , New York, U.S

☆ Kuwait rings up small bill in tower merger
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A three-way partnership deal will enable Qatar’s Ooredoo (ORDS.QA) to offload capital-intensive infrastructure but only by offering Kuwait’s Zain (ZAIN.KW) favourable deal terms. Ooredoo and Zain are creating a regional powerhouse with an estimated enterprise value of $2.2 billion to be managed by Zain-backed TASC Towers Holding. The $8.9 billion Ooredoo and $6.9 billion Zain will own 49.3% each, with the rest going to TASC. But Zain is paying an average price of $73,000 per tower, 9.5% less than the average price per tower in previous deals, according to JPMorgan analysts. The Kuwaiti group will also call the shots as the founders of Dubai’s TASC Towers Holding – which Zain controls with an 83.47% stake – will manage the new entity.

Persons: Qatar’s, Kuwait’s Zain, Zain, Ooredoo, Dubai’s, Pamela Barbaglia, Neiman Marcus, Francesco Guerrera, Oliver Taslic Organizations: Reuters, TASC, Bloomberg, JPMorgan, X, Saks, Thomson Locations: Algeria, Tunisia, Iraq, Jordan, Saudi, Kuwaiti, Hong Kong

HONG KONG, Dec 5 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Why would the world’s largest battery maker want to sell shares when it’s already flush with liquidity? It ended June with 102 billion yuan ($14 billion) in net cash, Moody’s calculates. CATL has just started production at a new facility in Germany and is building a plant in Hungary, its first forays West. The company’s long-term loans have increased more than tenfold to more than 70 billion yuan and its long-term bonds by around a third to nearly 20 billion yuan since 2020, per Visible Alpha. But as Zeng’s electric dreams accelerate, he’ll want to be sure CATL’s own batteries are fully charged.

Persons: it’s, CATL, Robin Zeng, Breakingviews, Tesla, Antony Currie, Thomas Shum Organizations: Reuters, Hong, Thailand’s, Ford Motor, Technology, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, Switzerland, CATL, Hong Kong, Shenzhen, China, Europe, Germany, Hungary, Fitch, Indonesia, Swiss

☆ AI Davids ride coattails of industry Goliaths
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

New York, Dec 5 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Artificial intelligence Goliaths like OpenAI continue to open the door for what might become the industry’s Davids. With a low-cost approach and data privacy focus, it may be able to eventually carve out a solid European business. Mistral has whiffs of what OpenAI, eyeing a mooted $86 billion valuation and eight years old, once was, but with tweaks. Mistral has also focused on “open sourcing” its models, which means they can be downloaded and used for free. As a Paris-based company, Mistral could build out its business with a specific focus on complying with AI rules being finalized by the European Union.

Persons: industry’s Davids, eyeing, Anita Ramaswamy, Neiman Marcus, Lauren Silva Laughlin, Aditya Sriwatsav Organizations: Reuters, Mistral, Bloomberg, European Union, X, Saks, Thomson Locations: York, Paris, Kuwait, Hong Kong

☆ Central bank blunders undermine tough rate talk
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Francesco Guerrera | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

Comments by central bankers underline their desire to keep interest rates high until price growth quiesces. Policymakers’ recent mistakes mean they will struggle to convince investors their tough talk is real. U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jay Powell says his fellow policymakers are “not thinking about rate cuts at all”. In May, after another U.S. regional bank failure, markets concluded that the Fed’s rate hike at the beginning of that month would be its last. Respected central bankers might be able to convince markets that these numbers don’t portend imminent rate cuts.

Persons: Jay Powell, Christine Lagarde, Andrew Bailey, Powell, backtrack, –, Lagarde, Treasuries, BoE, Bailey, Ben Bernanke, Jacob Frenkel, Peter Thal Larsen, Oliver Taslic, Thomas Shum Organizations: Reuters, Traders, U.S . Federal, European Central Bank, Bank of England, titans, Deutsche Bank, Treasury, Reuters Graphics Reuters, LSEG, Silicon Valley Bank, Fed, ECB, Bank of Israel, Federal Reserve, European, Thomson Locations: Silicon, Bailey, United States, Ukraine, Central

☆ Evergrande’s Hong Kong court ruling is big reprieve
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

HONG KONG, Dec 4 (Reuters Breakingviews) - A Hong Kong court on Monday adjourned to next month a hearing over a petition for the liquidation of China Evergrande (3333.HK). It lobs the ball back to Beijing: the judge told Evergrande to hold direct discussion with “relevant authorities” on the revamped terms. Options are limited following the detention of the company’s Chair Hui Ka Yan in September on suspicion of unspecified crimes. It also defers a high-profile test on whether Hong Kong liquidation rulings over mainland companies would be implemented across the border more efficiently following the introduction of a limited mutual recognition pact in 2021. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

Persons: Evergrande, Hui Ka Yan, Chan Ka, Neiman Marcus, Una Galani, Thomas Shum Organizations: Reuters, Hong, HK, X, Saks, Barclays, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, Hong Kong, China, Beijing

☆ Imagine a better climate pact than COP
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Hugo Dixon | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

It’s possible to imagine an alternative, better way to fight climate change. The snag is that China or the United States – which were responsible for 25% and 11% of greenhouse gases, respectively, in 2021 – would have to take the lead. All countries agreed to limit global warming to 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial times and to aim for 1.5 degrees. That’s the thinking behind the Just Energy Transition Partnerships that the United States and its allies have cut with Indonesia, Vietnam and South Africa. For example, Donald Trump, who as president pulled the United States out of the Paris Agreement, may return to the White House after next year’s elections.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Donald Trump, Peter Thal Larsen, Thomas Shum Organizations: Reuters, of, UN, United, Rio Earth Summit, European, Reuters Graphics Reuters, China, African, Initiative, World Bank, Thomson Locations: Nations, Dubai, China, United States, Paris, U.S, Washington, Beijing, European Union, Japan, Canada, South Korea, United Kingdom, Russia, Russian, Xi Jinping . Washington, India, Brazil, Indonesia, African Union, Vietnam, South Africa

☆ Brookfield’s energy M&A loss is teachable moment
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MELBOURNE, Dec 4 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Brookfield Asset Management (BAM.TO), has some wounds to lick. On Monday the Canadian investment firm’s joint $13 billion offer with MidOcean Energy for Australian power generator and retailer Origin Energy (ORG.AX)failed after the bidders secured backing from 69% of voted shares, below the required 75% threshold. It could target smaller local energy firms, like Alinta Energy and EnergyAustralia, owned by Hong Kong-based Chow Tai Fook Enterprises and CLP (0002.HK) respectively. Brookfield has made other investments from its $15 billion global transition fund, including to co-buy Westinghouse Electric. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

Persons: Bruce Flatt, Chow, Brookfield, Antony Currie, Neiman Marcus, Una Galani, Thomas Shum Organizations: MELBOURNE, Reuters, Brookfield Asset Management, MidOcean Energy, Origin Energy, Alinta, Chow Tai Fook Enterprises, CLP, HK, Westinghouse, X, Saks, Thomson Locations: Brookfield, Hong Kong

☆ Private equity double-dips are a tasty faux pas
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Aimee Donnellan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Private equity groups are trying something similar in the capital markets: successfully listing a company, then coming back for a second bite by buying it back once its stock craters. Take Synlab (SYAB.DE), listed at the height of a Covid-19 boom in testing by investment group Cinven. European companies listed by private equity groups since 2020 are trading, on average, at a 22% discount to their IPO price, according to data from Dealogic and Breakingviews calculations. The message from such deals, however, is that it’s better to buy a private equity-owned company after it has listed. Follow @aimeedonnellan on XCONTEXT NEWSPrivate equity firm Cinven on Sept. 29 offered 10 euros a share to take Covid test maker Synlab private.

Persons: Russell Boyce, Synlab, Cinven’s, Cinven, Sweden’s, Dr Martens, Elliott, Neil Unmack, Oliver Taslic Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Revenue, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, Cinven, France, Dealogic, Permira, Synlab

☆ Airline investors have reason to grab the barf bag
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Jonathan Guilford | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

NEW YORK, Dec 4 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Lately, when airlines suggest a thrilling deal, investors are left feeling queasy. Look at Alaska Air (ALK.N), whose shares cratered 15% on Monday after announcing the acquisition of struggling Hawaiian (HA.O). As happened when first Frontier (ULCC.O) and JetBlue Airways (JBLU.O) bid for Spirit Airlines (SAVE.N) in 2022, though, the buyer’s shareholders are balking. But it suggests that, by tying up, smaller airlines risk combining their woes. The deal comes as a lawsuit by the Department of Justice looking to block the merger of Spirit Airlines and JetBlue Airways heads to closing arguments on Dec. 5.

Persons: they’ll, trustbusters, nix, Pete Buttigieg doesn’t, Lauren Silva Laughlin, Sharon Lam, Aditya Sriwatsav Organizations: Reuters, Alaska Air, JetBlue Airways, Spirit Airlines, Department of Transportation, of Justice, Department of Justice, Thomson Locations: Lahaina, Maui, Alaska, Hawaii

☆ 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

☆ Bank of England drags Bagehot into the shadows
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Liam Proud | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

That is no longer tenable, in part because of reforms to bank regulation that shifted activity from traditional lenders to financial market players. These days, the institutions in need of urgent liquidity are just as likely to be pension funds, insurers or hedge funds. The British central bank’s initial ideas make sense, but only solve part of the problem. The central bank can short-circuit the panic by opening the credit taps. Central banks are only just starting to grapple with what it means to be a lender of last resort in that context.

Persons: Walter Bagehot’s, Andrew Hauser, BoE, WALTER, Gurney, Peter Thal Larsen, Streisand Neto, Thomas Shum Organizations: Reuters, Bank of England, Reuters Graphics Reuters, U.S, Treasury, Federal Reserve, Pensions, . Treasury, Citadel, Millennium Management, City of, U.S . Federal, Gurney & Company, Victorian, Thomson Locations: British, City, City of London, Basel, Overend, Lombard

☆ Geely’s stalled IPO discounts global expansion
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

HONG KONG, Dec 1 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Electric-car marque Zeekr, controlled by China’s largest private auto group Zhejiang Geely, has hit a roadblock. It is putting on hold its New York initial public offering because of a mismatch in valuation expectations, Reuters reported on Thursday. It was hoped the listing would break the ice and encourage a resurgence in Chinese volumes in U.S. capital markets. Its prospectus was published in November, when global stocks recorded their best performance since 2020. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Joe Biden, Katrina Hamlin, Julius Baer’s, Una Galani, Thomas Shum Organizations: Reuters, Zhejiang, American, Tata Technologies, X, Barclays, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, York, Mumbai, Europe, United States, China

☆ Saks and Neiman Marcus are better together
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The signage outside the Neiman Marcus store is seen during the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in New York City, U.S., April 19, 2020. REUTERS/Jeenah Moon Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Dec 1 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus might be headed down the aisle. The two luxury retailers are in talks to merge, according to the Wall Street Journal on Friday. By joining forces, Saks and Neiman would have more power negotiating with vendors and ability to control costs. Saks and Neiman are destined to match up.

Persons: Marcus, Neiman Marcus, Neiman, Jennifer Saba, Robert Cyran, Aditya Sriwatsav Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Saks Fifth, Wall, Saks, HBC, Dallas, Ares Management, Plan Investment Board, Bain, Neiman, X, Barclays, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Canada

☆ Competition will make obesity drugs successful
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Robert Cyran | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

In an interview with the Financial Times, he proposed spreading reimbursements over time if the medication proves to be successful. There’s some practical grounding in that solution, but the path of other similar drugs suggests that a competitive market is a better way to make it successful. Snag is, the drugs cost several thousand dollars per patient annually, even after discounts. Medicare, which covers 66 million seniors, can’t pay for weight loss drugs under current law. While it makes more sense for insurers or governments to pay over time if the drugs benefits last, schemes like the one that Jørgensen suggests can only do so much.

Persons: Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen, Jørgensen, “, Lauren Silva Laughlin, Sharon Lam Organizations: Reuters, Novo Nordisk, Financial Times, Centers for Disease Control, Prevention, North Carolina, The New England, of Medicine, Employers, Thomson Locations: U.S, The, United States, Danish

☆ Amazon’s space dreams deserve to be grounded
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Robert Cyran | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Founder, Chairman, CEO and President of Amazon Jeff Bezos unveils his space company Blue Origin's space exploration lunar lander rocket called Blue Moon during an unveiling event in Washington, U.S., May 9, 2019. REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne - RC153E11B8F0 Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Oct 16 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Amazon.com’s (AMZN.O) Project Kuiper is a misguided technological marvel. A recent U.S. government report warned that space junk from currently planned networks could start regularly falling back to Earth by 2035. Facing an uncertain payoff and the possibility that its efforts will burn up on reentry, Amazon’s best move is bowing out of a futile space race. The $1.3 trillion technology company plans to eventually launch over 3,200 satellites into low-earth orbit to provide high-speed internet globally.

Persons: Amazon Jeff Bezos, Clodagh, Jeff Bezos, SpaceX’s, Andy Jassy, Bill Gates, SpaceX honcho Elon Musk, OneWeb, Jonathan Guilford, Sharon Lam, Aditya Sriwatsav Organizations: Amazon, REUTERS, Reuters, SpaceX, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Kuiper, Eutelsat Communications, Origin, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Bezos, China

☆ Forex swings will upend lucrative yen carry trade
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Francesco Guerrera | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

But as central banks start moving in the opposite direction, those “carry trades” will become a lot riskier. Notably those who bet against its government bonds in a trade so bad it became known as the “widow maker”. Foreign exchange traders beg to differ: the carry trade has been a sure-fire money maker this year. That’s due to the huge gap in short-term interest rates between Japan, where they are -0.1%, and other countries. Reuters GraphicsThe most popular carry trade with yen has been into U.S. dollars .

Persons: ”, –, Una Galani, Thomas Shum Organizations: Reuters, Federal Reserve, Deutsche Bank, LSEG, Bank of America, U.S, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, Japan, Colombia, Mexico, Brazil, Ukraine

☆ Private-asset binge exposes insurance to new risks
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( John Foley | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

The concept is not new: Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway (BRKa.N) has used its insurance premiums to help fund everything from railways to cowboy-boot makers. The prospect of insurance companies buying risky loans or private equity investments has raised eyebrows. Many private credit assets, for example, rely on so-called private letter ratings based on confidential data. Given the private nature of private credit, it’s hard to see from the outside how big these risks are, or where they lurk. Besides, even if the share of life insurance assets that are mis-rated or undercapitalized is tiny, smaller insurers could carry more concentrated risk.

Persons: Blackstone, Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway, Fitch, Kroll, Egan, Jones, DBRS Morningstar, Banks, SVB, Jonathan Guilford, Neil Unmack, Peter Thal Larsen, Oliver Taslic Organizations: Reuters, Apollo Global Management, KKR, Global Atlantic, Investments, National Association of Insurance, England’s Everton FC, Rivals, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Federal Reserve, Federal Deposit Insurance Corp, Athene, P Global, Insurance, SVB, Thomson Locations: Global, Delaware , New York, Iowa, New York, London

☆ Saudi’s Indian cricket play works for both sides: podcast
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Aimee Donnellan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

LONDON, Nov 30 (Reuters Breakingviews) - The kingdom is looking to invest as much as $5 bln in the Indian Premier League. In this Viewsroom podcast, Breakingviews columnists discuss what it means for the sport and how it sizes up against Riyadh’s growing global sporting ambitions. Listen to the podcastFollow @aimeedonnellan 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: Thomas Shum Organizations: Reuters, Indian Premier League, Thomson

☆ US and India’s strengthening bond is weak on trust
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Una Galani | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque Acquire Licensing RightsMUMBAI, Nov 30 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Trust between the United States and India is eroding. It says it will investigate security concerns aired by the United States. Trying that on the United States would be more consequential: Apple (AAPL.O) and Tesla (TSLA.O) are looking to build supply chains in the country, and the U.S. is the largest market for India’s people-heavy IT services companies. The United States and India may draw a quick line under the murder-for-hire episode, but it will sow a lasting seed of doubt in the relationship. Prosecutors did not name the Indian official.

Persons: Kevin Lamarque, soberly, ”, Justin Trudeau, Joe Biden, Narendra Modi, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Jamal Khashoggi, Nikhil Gupta, “, Arindam Bagchi, Neil Unmack, Oliver Taslic Organizations: White, REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, U.S . Department of Justice, U.S, Companies, Micron, General Electric Aerospace, Ottawa, Global, Saudi Arabia’s Crown, Indian, U.S . Justice, New, New York City, Prosecutors, “ Security Management, Thomson Locations: India, Washington , U.S, Rights MUMBAI, United States, Delhi, American, China, Asia, Canada, U.S, Vietnam, Saudi, Istanbul, Manhattan, New York

☆ Asia’s tech giants lean toward desperate deals
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Anshuman Daga | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew arrives for a dinner, on the eve of the Paris Peace Forum at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, November 9, 2023. TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew was feted in Indonesia where it has 125 million monthly active users when he pledged in June to invest billions of dollars in the region. But the global giant failed to anticipate regulatory hurdles in its biggest market for online shopping. TikTok’s viral video app would provide Tokopedia with a powerful new growth avenue for its online shopping and payments business. Yet as tech companies from the People’s Republic to Indonesia pull out all the stops to lift growth amid waning investor support, desperate new alliances are bound to emerge.

Persons: Shou Zi Chew, Gonzalo Fuentes, TikTok, China’s, GoTo, Patrick Walujo, Indonesia’s GoTo, Una Galani, Thomas Shum Organizations: Paris Peace, REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, Companies, Google, Temasek, Bain &, Reuters Graphics Reuters Graphics, Tokopedia, HK, Global Digital, Djarum, Bloomberg, Thomson Locations: Paris, France, Rights SINGAPORE, Southeast Asia, Indonesia, Reuters Graphics Reuters Graphics Jakarta, Tokopedia, Lazada, Singapore, Indonesian, Thailand, People’s Republic, China

☆ ASML’s new CEO has tricky path to a 1,000% return
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

On Thursday the Dutch group said Chief Executive Peter Wennink is retiring after a decade at the helm. The Veldhoven-based group dominates the market for lithography equipment, a key tool for making microchips used to power everything from smartphones to cars. Demand for its kit has seen ASML’s revenue quadruple and its shares deliver a 1,000% total return since Wennink took over in July 2013. But ASML’s current market power makes it harder for his successor to do deals without inviting antitrust scrutiny. The next 1,000% return is likely to take longer than 10 years.

Persons: Peter Wennink, Christophe Fouquet, ASML, microchips, Wennink, Fouquet, Karen Kwok, Julius Baer’s, Neil Unmack, Oliver Taslic Organizations: Reuters, X, Barclays, Thomson Locations: U.S, China

☆ 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

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