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☆ WeWork was doomed to fail by taking on huge buildings, rival says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-12 | by ( Tom Carter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

WeWork was famous for huge coworking spaces with amenities like climbing walls and swimming pools. AdvertisementAdvertisementBut the "really enormous WeWork spaces, the 300,000 to 400,000 square foot WeWorks, those are simply too large," for other companies to take on. "Lots of companies, WeWork included, made decisions that spiked revenue in the short run, but probably weren't prudent in the long run," he added. AdvertisementAdvertisementLuxurious coworking spaces may be a thing of the pastHuge coworking spaces filled with yoga rooms, beer taps, and swimming pools were the hallmark of WeWork's operation at its height. AdvertisementAdvertisementHodari told Insider that Industrious, which has over 165 coworking locations across the globe, would probably end up taking over a number of WeWork sites.

Persons: WeWork, Jamie Hodari, —, Hodari, Briggs Elwell, Adam, Neumann, Elwell Organizations: Service, RLTY

☆ SoftBank books $5.2 bln quarterly loss as investments and weak yen bite
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Anton Bridge | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The results underscore the volatility and risk inherent in founder Masayoshi Son's strategy of betting big on often risky start-ups. The Japanese conglomerate said it was squeezed by weakness in the yen that drove up costs on its dollar-denominated debt. SoftBank reported a 789 billion yen ($5.2 billion) net loss for the three months to end-September, compared with a 3.01 trillion yen profit a year earlier when it sold down a large portion of its stake in Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba (9988.HK). Its Vision Fund investment unit, meanwhile, booked an investment profit of 21.4 billion yen in the latest quarter, after posting a 160 billion yen profit three months earlier. SoftBank said it exchanged unsecured WeWork notes into shares and convertible bonds and reflected a 21.6 billion yen loss from the transaction in the first half.

Persons: Thomas Peter, Masayoshi, SoftBank, Anton Bridge, Miyoung Kim, David Dolan, Tom Hogue Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, SoftBank, HK, Vision Fund, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, WeWork

☆ WeWork to withhold interest payment on some notes
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WeWork logos are seen at a WeWork office in San Francisco, California, U.S. September 30, 2019. REUTERS/Kate Munsch/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 2 (Reuters) - WeWork Inc (WE.N) on Monday said it had decided to withhold interest payments of about $95 million related to some of its notes, as it tries to improve its capital structure. The company has a 30-day grace period to make the interest payments before a non-payment can be considered an "event of default", WeWork said in a regulatory filing. The company has the liquidity to make the interest payments and may decide to pay "in the future", it added. The company withheld interest payments of about $37.3 million payable in cash and $57.9 million of payment-in-kind (PIK) notes, each payable on Monday.

Persons: Kate Munsch, SoftBank, WeWork, Shivansh, Maju Samuel Organizations: REUTERS, WeWork, New York Stock Exchange, Thomson Locations: San Francisco , California, U.S, Bengaluru

If the negotiations lead to a deal, the Japanese tech investor would be delivering a major, immediate windfall to VF1 investors, including Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund and Abu Dhabi's Mubadala. A big windfall for VF1 investors could boost SoftBank's chances of tapping them for capital again in the future. VF1's investment committee and SoftBank's investment advisory board, attended by fund investor representatives, are handling the negotiations, one of the sources added. SoftBank, VF1 and Arm declined to comment. SoftBank, which took Arm private for $32 billion in 2016, sold a 25% stake in the company to VF1 for $8 billion in 2017.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Abu Dhabi's Mubadala, Didi Global, VF1, SoftBank, Masayoshi Son, Raine, VF2, Son, Echo Wang, Anirban Sen, Greg Roumeliotis, Mark Porter Organizations: REUTERS, SoftBank Group Corp, Vision Fund, Nasdaq, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, WeWork Inc, Alibaba Group, HK, Deutsche Telekom, Mobile U.S, Amazon.com Inc, Reuters, Nvidia Corp, Thomson Locations: Arm, New York

☆ WeWork raises going-concern doubt, shares tank
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File photoAug 8 (Reuters) - WeWork Inc (WE.N) on Tuesday raised "substantial" doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern and said three board members had stepped down, sending its shares down 27% in extended trading. The company had previously said its actions to restructure debt and operations had eased worries over its ability to continue as a going concern. WeWork struck deals in March to cut its debt by about $1.5 billion and extend the date of some maturities to preserve cash. WeWork on Tuesday said it was still continuing its search for a permanent CEO and that it had added four board members after three members stepped down. Reporting by Ananta Agarwal and Chavi Mehta in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D'SilvaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, WeWork, Sandeep Mathrani, Andre Fernandez, Mathrani, Ananta Agarwal, Chavi Mehta, Anil D'Silva Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, WeWork, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Bengaluru

☆ WeWork CEO Mathrani to step down after joining Sycamore Partners as director
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

May 16 (Reuters) - WeWork Inc (WE.N) on Tuesday said that Sandeep Mathrani would step down as the workspace provider's chief executive officer, effective May 26, while Sycamore Partners named him as a director to lead its real estate activity. Mathrani was named WeWork CEO in 2020 and tasked with the company's turnaround following a botched IPO attempt and amid rising investor concerns over corporate governance standards. The company, which said Mathrani's resignation was not a result of any disagreement, named board member David Tolley as interim CEO. WeWork said lead independent director Daniel Hurwitz would serve as chairman of the board and head a special committee that will search for a permanent CEO. WeWork shares have fallen about 76% so far this year, resulting in a market capitalization of $745.42 million, according to Refinitiv data.

[1/2] The logo of SoftBank Group Corp is displayed at SoftBank World 2017 conference in Tokyo, Japan, July 20, 2017. The fourth-quarter earnings come after the Vision Fund unit posted four consecutive quarters of investment loss, with investors debating whether the value of privately held stakes have further to fall. Portfolio firms of the Vision Fund unit whose shares climbed during January-March include e-commerce firm Coupang Inc (CPNG.N) and robotics firm AutoStore Holdings Ltd (AUTO.OL). What matters is Arm for SoftBank to demonstrate it can get results as an investment company," said SMBC Nikko Securities analyst Satoru Kikuchi. Still, SoftBank executives are unlikely to offer meaningful new information about the Arm listing on Thursday, Kikuchi said.

☆ WeWork receives non-compliance notice from NYSE
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 18 (Reuters) - WeWork Inc (WE.N) said on Tuesday that it had received a non-compliance notice from the New York Stock Exchange, as its stock closed below $1 on average over a consecutive 30 trading-day period. Shares of the flexible workspace provider were down 2% at 48 cents in aftermarket trade. The notice will not result in immediate de-listing and the company will have six months to regain compliance, WeWork said. The company benefited from a pandemic-driven shift to flexible work outside traditional offices but has been feeling the impact from mass layoffs across the tech sector. WeWork shares have fallen 65% year to date, resulting in a market capitalization of $360.9 million, according to Refinitiv data.

☆ WeWork adopts shareholder rights plan to protect ability to reduce future tax bills
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 7 (Reuters) - WeWork Inc. (WE.N) on Friday said it has adopted a "poison pill" to limit its shareholders from increasing stakes, which would make it difficult for the company to use its net operating loss (NOL) carryforwards to reduce tax. As of Dec. 31, 2021, WeWork had about $6.9 billion of U.S. federal NOLs and $6.6 billion of state NOLs that could be available to offset its future federal taxable income and state taxable income, the company said in a statement. The company, which offers workstations, private offices and customized floor plans, had enjoyed a pandemic-driven shift to flexible work outside traditional offices, but is now gearing up for a potential fallout from a likely economic downturn. The Tax Asset Preservation Plan is intended to reduce the likelihood of such an "ownership change" at WeWork by deterring any person or group from acquiring beneficial ownership of 4.9% or more of company's outstanding Class A common stock, the company added. Reporting by Jaiveer Singh Shekhawat in Bengaluru; Editing by Mark PorterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ WeWork reaches deals to cut debt, extend maturities
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Under the deals announced Friday, key investor SoftBank Group Corp's (9984.T) $1.0 billion unsecured notes would be converted to equity. The Japanese company held a stake of about 46% in WeWork before the restructuring was announced, as per Refinitiv data. About $1.9 billion of pro-forma debt will now mature in 2027, WeWork said, adding that it would have less than $2.0 billion in net debt once the deal closes. WeWork, which went public in 2021 after a two-year struggle, is yet to post a quarterly profit. PJT Partners LP advised WeWork on the debt restructuring, while Houlihan Lokey advised SoftBank.

☆ WeWork reaches deal to convert $1 billion of SoftBank's debt to equity
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

March 17 (Reuters) - WeWork Inc (WE.N) said on Friday it had reached a deal to convert about $1 billion of key investor SoftBank Group Corp's (9984.T) unsecured notes into equity, in an effort to restructure its finances. Shares of the company rose 2.2% to $1 before the bell. Last month, WeWork forecast weak current-quarter revenue in a sign that its business was feeling the heat of mass layoffs, as companies reduce their real estate footprint. In January, the New York-based company also planned to eliminate about 300 roles across countries after announcing last year that it would exit about 40 underperforming U.S. locations due to high expenses and a strong U.S. dollar. Reporting by Kannaki Deka and Priyamvada C in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju Samuel and Shailesh KuberOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Ahead of the crucial non-farm payrolls report on Friday, data showed U.S. private payrolls increased more than expected in February, pointing to continued labor market strength. BlackRock's chief investment officer of global fixed income, Rick Rieder, said the Fed could raise rates to 6% and keep them there for an extended period of time to fight inflation. "Unless we get some data over the course of the next two weeks, we really don't know which way we should be landing. Unfortunately the most important piece of the data doesn't come until Friday, that's why we've got a market that's meandering a bit." ET, Dow e-minis were up 33 points, or 0.1%, S&P 500 e-minis were up 4.25 points, or 0.11%, and Nasdaq 100 e-minis were up 19.75 points, or 0.16%.

Traders drastically increased their bets that the U.S. central bank will raise rates by 50 basis points later this month, with money market futures pricing in a 64.1% chance of such a move. BlackRock's chief investment officer of global fixed income, Rick Rieder, said the Fed could raise rates to 6% and keep them there for an extended period of time to fight inflation. ET (1315 GMT) is expected to show private employers hired 200,000 workers in February after adding 106,000 jobs in January. Occidental Petroleum Corp (OXY.N) gained 3.1% after Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc (BRKa.N) increased its stake in the oil company to about 22.2%. Reporting by Sruthi Shankar in Bengaluru, additional reporting by Amruta Khandekar Editing by Vinay DwivediOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Futures edge higher after Wall St selloff on Powell remarks
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Traders drastically increased their bets that the U.S. central bank will raise rates by 50 basis points later this month, with money market futures pricing in a 64.1% chance of such a move. BlackRock's top fixed-income investor Rick Rieder said the Fed could raise rates to 6% and keep them there for an extended period of time to fight inflation. ET (1315 GMT) is expected to show private employers hired 200,000 workers in February after adding 106,000 jobs in January. Occidental Petroleum Corp (OXY.N) gained 2.5% after Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc (BRKa.N) increased its stake in the oil company to about 22.2%. Reporting by Sruthi Shankar in Bengaluru, additional reporting by Amruta Khandekar Editing by Vinay DwivediOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ WeWork in talks with investors to restructure over $3 bln debt - NYT
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

March 7 (Reuters) - WeWork Inc (WE.N) is in talks with investors to restructure its outstanding debt of more than $3 billion and raise more cash, the New York Times reported on Tuesday. Yardi, a real estate software provider in Santa Barbara, California, is among the investors considering new investment in the company, the people told the newspaper. Japan's SoftBank Group Corp (9984.T), which is both WeWork's largest shareholder and its largest debtor, is playing a key role in the negotiations but is not expected to put any additional money into the company, the report said. WeWork did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Reporting by Ananya Mariam Rajesh in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju SamuelOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ WeWork turns core profit in Dec for the first time since listing
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Feb 16 (Reuters) - WeWork Inc (WE.N) on Thursday said it turned a core profit in December for the first time since it went public, helped by cost cuts. The office-sharing firm, which went public in 2021, said for the "first time in WeWork’s history", the company achieved an adjusted EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization) profitability for December 2022. The New York-based company also announced its exit from 40 U.S. locations. WeWork said it expects current-quarter revenue to be between $830 million and $855 million and adjusted EBITDA to be in the range of a $25 million loss to breakeven. Its adjusted EBITDA for the fourth quarter was negative $26 million, compared to negative $283 million a year ago.

Arm technology powers most global smartphones and the company counts Apple Inc (AAPL.O) and Qualcomm Inc (QCOM.O) as customers. The China business is the exclusive distributor of Arm chip technology in China and develops and sells its own chip designs based on Arm. In 2021, the China business paid Arm about $500 million, the two sources said. “The Arm Ltd IP business part of Arm China is performing very well and we are positioned for continued growth going forward. SoftBank and Arm China did not respond to requests for comment.

Arm technology powers most global smartphones and the company counts Apple Inc (AAPL.O) and Qualcomm Inc (QCOM.O) as customers. The China business is the exclusive distributor of Arm chip technology in China and develops and sells its own chip designs based on Arm. “The Arm Ltd IP business part of Arm China is performing very well and we are positioned for continued growth going forward. SoftBank and Arm China did not respond to requests for comment. Wu is credited with expanding the China business, according to two sources familiar with the company.

☆ SoftBank tumbles to loss as Vision Fund in red for fourth straight quarter
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Kiyoshi Takenaka | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The Vision Fund, which upended the world of technology with its big bets on startups, reported an investment loss of 730.36 billion yen ($5.52 billion) in the fiscal third quarter. At SoftBank itself, the net loss totalled 783.42 billion yen, compared with a 29.05 billion yen profit a year earlier. SoftBank said the Vision Fund unit had significantly curtailed new investments and was continuing to sell some older ones as part of "prudent defensive financial management" amid the challenging market environment. GOOD ARMThe bulk of the loss at the Vision Fund unit came from a steep decline in the valuation of investments in unlisted companies. Son invested heavily in artificial intelligence and other high-tech startups through the Vision Fund in recent years, delivering both record profits and heady optimism about future valuations.

☆ SoftBank posts loss as Vision Fund in the red for fourth straight quarter
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Kiyoshi Takenaka | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TOKYO, Feb 7 (Reuters) - SoftBank Group Corp (9984.T) on Tuesday booked a net loss for October-December, as its giant Vision Fund investment unit remained in the red for a fourth straight quarter while a global tech sell-off battered valuations of its portfolio companies. The Vision Fund, which upended the world of technology with its big bets on startups, reported an investment loss of 730.36 billion yen ($5.52 billion) in the latest quarter. At SoftBank itself, the net loss totalled 783.42 billion yen, compared with a 29.05 billion yen profit a year earlier. SoftBank said the Vision Fund unit had significantly curtailed new investments and was continuing to sell some older ones as part of "prudent defensive financial management" amid the challenging market environment. The bulk of the loss at the Vision Fund unit came from a steep decline in the valuation of investments in unlisted companies.

☆ WeWork to cut about 300 global jobs as it pares back presence
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Jan 19 (Reuters) - WeWork Inc (WE.N) plans to eliminate about 300 roles across countries, the flexible workspace provider said on Thursday, as part of efforts to cut back on underperforming locations. The New York-based company had in November announced its exit from 40 U.S. locations. The company said on Thursday it expects to report fourth-quarter revenue above forecast and a narrower fall in adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA). It had forecast fourth-quarter revenue between $870 million and $890 million and adjusted EBITDA to be negative $65 million to negative $85 million. WeWork went public in 2021 after a two-year struggle and has a market cap of around $1.16 billion.

☆ WeWork’s Once Robust Cash Reserves Have Dwindled, Raising Chances of Default
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-13 | by ( Konrad Putzier | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

WeWork has been able to cover its losses partly with loans and equity investments from its biggest backer, SoftBank Group. WeWork Inc. is trying to turn a profit before its once formidable cash reserves run out. The Federal Reserve’s efforts to fight inflation have made that harder. Recession fears and tech-industry job cuts are weighing on demand for co-working desks. Meanwhile, money-losing companies such as WeWork are squeezed by higher interest rates, which have made debt harder to come by and the promise of future profit less appealing to investors.

☆ WeWork exits 40 U.S. locations after tepid forecast, shares slump
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Kannaki Deka | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Nov 10 (Reuters) - WeWork Inc (WE.N) forecast fourth-quarter revenue below estimates and said it will exit about 40 underperforming U.S. locations, sending shares down over 15%, as the workspace provider deals with high expenses and a strong U.S. dollar. "A recession is going to materially impact WeWork's operations because SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) are going to cut costs. WeWork expects fourth-quarter revenue of between $870 million and $890 million, below Wall Street targets of $923.8 million. WeWork went public in 2021 after a two-year struggle and currently has a market cap of around $1.77 billion. It reported third-quarter revenue of $817 million, below market expectations of $865 million, according to a Refinitiv poll of five analysts.

☆ WeWork to Close 40 U.S. Locations as Company Cuts Costs
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Will Feuer | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The office-sharing company WeWork is closing dozens of locations in the U.S.WeWork Inc. said it is closing about 40 underperforming locations in the U.S., with most of the closures expected this month as the office-sharing company cuts costs and seeks to turn a profit. WeWork declined to say where the affected buildings are.

☆ WeWork to exit 40 U.S. locations to cut costs, revenue outlook disappoints
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Nov 10 (Reuters) - WeWork Inc (WE.N) said on Thursday it will exit about 40 locations across the United States and forecast current-quarter revenue below estimates as the flexible workspace provider faces high expenses and a strong U.S. dollar. WeWork went public in 2021 after a two-year struggle and currently has a market cap of around $1.77 billion. The New York-based firm also reported third-quarter revenue of $817 million, below market expectations of $865 million, according to a Refinitiv poll of five analysts. Net loss per diluted share came in at 75 cents per share, below estimates for a loss of 45 cents. WeWork expects fourth-quarter revenue to be between $870 million and $890 million, below expectations of $923.8 million.

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