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☆ 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

☆ Everybody could use a Charlie Munger
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Lauren Silva Laughlin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

NEW YORK, Nov 29 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Every great leader needs a Charlie Munger. The deputy to Berkshire Hathaway’s (BRKa.N) Warren Buffett died on Tuesday morning just a month shy of his 100th birthday. And Munger kept at it: at age 99, having served as Berkshire’s vice chairman since 1978, he was still giving interviews as recently as this month. Munger was capable when taking the opposite view from his boss, encouraging the kind of debate that fosters better decisions. Follow @thereallsl on XCONTEXT NEWSCharlie Munger, the longtime vice chairman and second-in-command to Warren Buffett at Berkshire Hathaway, died at a California hospital, the company said on Nov. 28.

Persons: Charlie Munger, Warren Buffett, Munger, lobbing, ”, Buffett, CNBC’s Becky Quick, Greg Abel, Ajit Jain, That’s, Buffett’s, Berkshire Hathaway, ” Buffett, Jonathan Guilford, Sharon Lam Organizations: Reuters, Berkshire Hathaway’s, Berkshire, Costco Wholesale, Thomson Locations: Berkshire, Omaha, ”, California

☆ 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

☆ 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

☆ Slowing China still leads the race for commodities
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Yawen Chen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

"When it comes to copper, the thinking usually goes that copper equals property, property equals China," said one commodities trader. "And because China property is down, copper must be down too." That’s why China's copper demand will still rise by 4 million tonnes from the 2020 level to around 18 million tonnes per year in 2030, according to estimates by commodity trading group Trafigura. And China's copper demand has grown by 8% this year, faster than the 5% Xi is targeting for overall GDP growth. China's annual aluminium demand rose by 18 million tonnes from 2010 to 2020 and is forecast to grow by another 13 million tonnes to over 50 million tonnes a year in 2030, per Trafigura.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Communist Party’s, Wood Mackenzie, Francesco Guerrera, Katrina Hamlin, Thomas Shum Organizations: Reuters, HK, Communist, Shanghai Futures Exchange, London Metal Exchange, ING, International Monetary Fund, IMF, World Bank, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Oxford, HSBC, Democratic, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, China, Washington, Moscow, Taiwan, Shanghai, Republic, United States, Australia, Beijing, Chile, Indonesia, Democratic Republic of Congo

☆ EU watchdogs muck up Amazon’s messy iRobot cleanup
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Jonathan Guilford | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The concerns speak to ongoing worries over Amazon’s market clout – but if the deal collapses, it’s iRobot shareholders who will suffer more downward suction. The Commission, which is reviewing the deal alongside British and American merger cops, on Monday published its objections. If Amazon is thwarted, investors expect iRobot shares to fall to between $5 and $15. CONTEXT NEWSThe European Commission on Nov. 27 issued a statement of objections regarding Amazon.com’s proposed $1.4 billion acquisition of robot vacuum maker iRobot. iRobot shares fell more than 18% to close at $34.35 on Nov. 27.

Persons: Andrew Kelly, it’s, Carlyle, Amazon.com’s, Peter Thal Larsen, Aditya Sriwatsav Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, iRobot, European Commission, British, EU, Amazon, Investors, Commission, Thomson Locations: Staten Island , New York City, U.S, American, Europe, United States, Seattle, iRobot

☆ Rolls-Royce's overhaul is deceptively ambitious
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Nov 28 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Rolls-Royce (RR.L) boss Tufan Erginbilgic wants to push Britain's biggest aerospace company to its limit. On the face of it, Erginbilgic's targets are not overly ambitious. Analysts were already forecasting a group operating margin of 11% in 2025 on the back of an air traffic recovery, according to LSEG data, not far below Erginbilgic's goal of 13%-15%. Yet this is the same margin range of Rolls-Royce's rivals Safran (SAF.PA) and General Electric (GE.N) which make engines for short-haul flights. Rolls-Royce's engines are instead used to power so-called widebody aircraft like Airbus's A330neo, used for transatlantic flights.

Persons: Tufan Erginbilgic, Safran, Pamela Barbaglia, Julius Baer’s, Warren Buffett, Neil Unmack, Streisand Neto Organizations: Reuters, Royce, Investors, General Electric, X, Thomson

☆ Foxconn is still running with difficult status quo
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( Chan Ka Sing | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

HONG KONG, Nov 27 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Terry Gou is not running for Taiwan’s presidency after all. Nonetheless, the $45 billion Apple (AAPL.O) supplier’s continuing push to move production outside of China leaves it firmly on frontlines of rising cross-strait tensions. Foxconn grew into the biggest employer in China, with more than 1 million workers at its peak and a top contract manufacturer for global brands. Foxconn is out of the election spotlight but it still has to grapple with an awkward status quo. CONTEXT NEWSTerry Gou, the billionaire founder of electronics maker Foxconn, announced on Nov. 24 that he will be withdrawing from Taiwan’s presidential election next month.

Persons: Terry Gou, Critics, Foxconn, Una Galani, Thomas Shum Organizations: Reuters, Apple, Democratic Progressive Party, DPP, KMT, Hai Precision Industry, World Trade Organization, Reuters Graphics, China -, Foxconn, Taipei Times, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, China, Washington, Beijing, Taiwan, Kuomintang, Taipei

☆ Warner Bros Discovery boss’s payday is toast
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( Jennifer Saba | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The Warner Bros Discovery (WBD.O) chief executive will have to more than double the value of the media company if he wants to collect a lavish $200 million compensation package awarded when Discovery agreed to merge with Warner Media in 2021. The news sent shares plunging 19%, the largest one-day drop since Discovery merged with Warner Media. Its current value is over $18 billion when applying Bernstein’s multiple of 8 times EBITDA. At the end of September, the company had net leverage – after deducting $2.4 billion cash – of 4.2 times EBITDA. Shares of Warner Bros Discovery fell 19% on that day.

Persons: David Zaslav, He’s, Harry Potter, Jefferies, Max, “ Barbie ”, Zaslav, David, Peter Thal Larsen, Sharon Lam Organizations: Reuters, Warner Bros Discovery, Discovery, Warner Media, HBO, CNN, Food Network, TBS, LSEG, Netflix, Reuters Graphics Reuters, HGTV, Thomson Locations: EBITDA

☆ 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

☆ Warren Buffett pays for Indian payments punt
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Warren Buffett, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway Inc, pauses while playing bridge as part of the company annual meeting weekend in Omaha, Nebraska U.S. May 6, 2018. REUTERS/Rick Wilking/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsMUMBAI, Nov 27 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Berkshire Hathaway’s (BRKa.N) foray into the digital payments industry in India did not go well. Warren Buffett’s investment firm on Friday sold its remaining shares in $7 billion Paytm, some five years after making its initial investment, locking in a more than 20% loss, per Breakingviews calculations. But Berkshire only invested $260 million, barely a blip next to its $700 billion-odd of assets at the time. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

Persons: Warren Buffett, Rick Wilking, Warren, –, Vijay Shekhar Sharma’s, it’s, Antony Currie, Katrina Hamlin Organizations: Berkshire Hathaway Inc, Omaha , Nebraska U.S, REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, Berkshire, X, Thomson Locations: Omaha , Nebraska, Rights MUMBAI, Berkshire, India, Una, China, Rome

☆ Amazon’s shipping splurge delivers payoff
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A worker sorts products during Cyber Monday operations at the Amazon's fulfillment center in Robbinsville, New Jersey, U.S., November 27, 2023. In 2016, before its in-house logistics initiative took off, global shipping costs tallied about $16 billion, with customers covering about half. Last year, the total expense was about five times higher. Moreover, higher turnover means higher profit, especially from ancillary services such as advertising. And that’s before the generally lucrative holiday season, which should bring Amazon shareholders some more upbeat shipping news.

Persons: Robert Cyran, Julius Baer’s, Warren Buffett, Jeffrey Goldfarb, Sharon Lam Organizations: Reuters, UPS, FedEx, Wall Street Journal, Services, Shipping, Amazon, X, Thomson Locations: Robbinsville , New Jersey, U.S, America, China

☆ EU is ill-equipped to meet growing global threats
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( Hugo Dixon | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

The snag is that EU countries are ever more reluctant to give up their right to block collective actions. Meanwhile, rivalry between the United States and China – and a green subsidy race between the world's two largest economies – is undermining the world trading system. The response of EU countries to the Gaza conflict has also been shambolic, both individually and collectively. Yet EU countries are also grappling with nationalistic currents, the latest demonstration of which is last week’s election victory by Geert Wilders, the Dutch politician who has long campaigned on an anti-immigrant and anti-EU ticket. But it is not clear that EU countries want to find a way to speed up collective decision-making.

Persons: Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, Geert Wilders, Olivier Costa, Jan Zielonka, Erik Jones, keener, Annalena, Shahin Vallée, Peter Thal Larsen, Streisand Neto, Thomas Shum Organizations: Reuters, European, NATO, EU, United Nations General Assembly, Franco, Britain, IF, College of Europe, Oxford University, European University Institute, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, United States, China, EU, People's Republic, Gaza, Dutch, Washington, Beijing, Germany, France, Denmark, United Kingdom, Berlin, Franco, Russia

☆ 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

☆ Iron ore gains on China’s property debt-rejig pain
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A steel worker of ThyssenKrupp stands amid sparks of raw iron coming from a blast furnace at a ThyssenKrupp steel factory in Duisburg, western Germany, January 30, 2020. The benchmark December iron ore futures contract on the Singapore Exchange is up 10% this month at $133.45 a ton on hopes Beijing will kickstart the property sector. Anticipating spiking demand from the world’s second largest economy, Citi analysts on Tuesday upgraded their forecast iron ore price to $140 per ton. The optimism on iron ore could further grow if Beijing rolls out more structural reforms, such as the provision of social housing. China’s demand for steel in electric vehicles and green infrastructure has already kept average prices high despite the property slump.

Persons: Wolfgang Rattay, Chan Ka, Una Galani, Thomas Shum Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Singapore Exchange, Citi, Hong Kong, HK, X, Thomson Locations: ThyssenKrupp, Duisburg, Germany, HONG KONG, China, Beijing, HK, Rome

☆ The future of interest rates is more surprises
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( Edward Chancellor | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Observing these oscillating forecasts, a bystander might conclude that nobody knows anything about the future direction of interest rates. The study examined data from 19 countries back to 1870 and found only a tenuous link between the determinants of savings and investment and real interest rates. “No single factor or combination of such factors”, the authors concluded, “can consistently explain the long-term evolution of real interest rates. Indeed, if the trend persisted Schmelzing forecast that “within a generation historically implied real interest rates will have reached negative territory”. Homer and Sylla wryly observe that people assume that the interest rates they encounter are normal and are surprised by what comes next.

Persons: Claudio Borio, “, ”, Paul Schmelzing, Sidney Homer, Richard Sylla, Sylla, Peter Thal Larsen, Streisand Neto, Thomas Shum Organizations: Reuters, U.S, Capital Economics, Bank for International, Austrian, Reuters Graphics Reuters Graphics, Financial, Boston College, Treasury, Thomson Locations: Central, U.S . Federal, London, Japan

☆ 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

☆ Listen Now: OpenAI’s boardroom drama is far from over
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( Aimee Donnellan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Breakingviews category · November 24, 2023The German government is working hard to demonstrate the foolishness of the country’s iron-clad ban on large budget deficits. It now says it will suspend the “debt brake” after the Constitutional Court forced it to cancel some 60 billion euros worth of fiscal spending that it had included in a 210 billion euro climate and transformation fund. But the welcome relief is only temporary, and the harm is done. The budget crisis will cripple the economy for years to come, for three reasons.

Organizations: Constitutional

☆ OpenAI’s boardroom drama is far from over: podcast
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( Aimee Donnellan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Breakingviews category · November 23, 2023 · 1:44 AM UTCLawmakers in South Korea blasted the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act as a betrayal. European Union leaders worried it would leave the bloc’s companies at a disadvantage. And big miners like Australia’s Fortescue said it left them little choice but to direct a lot of spending to the United States. Yet concerns about market distortion from the policy intended to stimulate investment in the energy transition and signed into law by President Joe Biden in August 2022 are easing. Other countries are realising they need to adapt the blueprint.

Persons: Australia’s Fortescue, Joe Biden Locations: South Korea, United States

☆ Every country needs an Inflation Reduction Act
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( Antony Currie | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +9 min

REUTERS/David Gray/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsMELBOURNE, Nov 23 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Lawmakers in South Korea blasted the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act as a betrayal. Yet concerns about market distortion from the policy intended to stimulate investment in the energy transition and signed into law by President Joe Biden in August 2022 are easing. The Biden administration’s willingness to negotiate on its package of $370 billion of tax breaks and other measures has helped. Reuters GraphicsTrouble is, governments also need to show that they will be fiscally responsible stewards of the energy transition in the short term – especially with inflation still a threat and budgets under pressure. In a speech on Nov. 2 about enabling Australia’s energy transition, Treasurer Jim Chalmers said that “incentives like the type we’ve seen in the Inflation Reduction Act in the United States can be part of an answer but they’re not the whole answer”.

Persons: David Brockwell, David Gray, Australia’s Fortescue, FMG.AX, Joe Biden, Biden, –, Goldman Sachs reckons, ’, Uncle Sam, Fumio, Jim Chalmers, they’re, Chalmers, Una Galani, Thomas Shum Organizations: REUTERS, Rights MELBOURNE, Reuters, Australia, Washington, European, of America, Labor Energy Partnership, U.S, Canberra, Climate Energy Finance, Climate Capital Forum, Deloitte, National Australia Bank, quicken, Thomson Locations: Lake George, Canberra, South Korea, United States, Seoul, European Union, U.S, Japan, Washington, EU, Australia

☆ Dutch shock points to tremors in Europe’s core
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( Rebecca Christie | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Dutch far-right politician and leader of the PVV party, Geert Wilders speaks to the press following the exit poll and early results in the Dutch parliamentary elections, in The Hague, Netherlands November 22, 2023. The results add to the sense that Europe’s core is starting to rot. Even if Wilders drops his most radical ideas, mainstream conservatives, who won 24 seats, may have reservations about supporting his cause. The Dutch results, combined with German political turmoil, likely put paid to hopes of a deal on Europe’s fiscal rules by year-end. Europe’s core, the bloc’s lynchpin during the euro zone crisis, is now a shaky foundation.

Persons: Geert Wilders, Yves Herman, Mark Rutte, Wilders, won’t, Giorgia Meloni, ’, Rutte, Neil Unmack, Streisand Neto Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, EU, Party, Freedom Party, Labour, Italian, Green, People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy, Thomson Locations: The Hague, Netherlands, Rights BRUSSELS, Wednesday’s, Hague, Europe, Ukraine, Israel, France, Germany, Dutch, Belgium

☆ Carlyle’s Big Mac China dish is hard to match
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SINGAPORE, Nov 22 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Carlyle (CG.O) may be lagging its peers in the United States. But in China, at least, the buyout firm is finishing a meal that will be hard for others to find. That’s less than the private equity outfit run by Harvey Schwartz was hoping for, but is tasty enough. Given geopolitical tensions and China’s weak economic growth, Carlyle has done well to secure a hassle-free exit. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

Persons: Carlyle, repurchasing, Harvey Schwartz, ByteDance, Jack Ma’s Ant, Antony Currie, Thomas Shum Organizations: Reuters, HK, X, Walmart, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, United States, China, People’s Republic, Hong Kong, Macau, McDonald’s, Rome

☆ Panasonic’s auto deal deserves a speedy sequel
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Toru Hanai/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsHONG KONG, Nov 22 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Panasonic’s (6752.T)decision to sell part of its automotive unit suggests CEO Yuki Kusumi’s plans are taking a promising turn. The business, which pioneers technology like infotainment systems for the next generation of internet-connected cars, is a growing but capital-intensive opportunity. Selling a stake to Apollo Global Management (APO.N), with the possibility of a listing later, could help fund faster development without denting Panasonic’s balance sheet or returns. This was an obvious target for Kusumi, who previously led the auto unit. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

Persons: Toru Hanai, Yuki Kusumi’s, Panasonic’s, it’s, Katrina Hamlin, Francesco Guerrera, Thomas Shum Organizations: Panasonic Corp, Advanced Technologies, Makuhari, REUTERS, Reuters, Apollo Global Management, Sony, Hitachi, Panasonic, X, Walmart, Thomson Locations: JAPAN, Chiba, Japan, HONG KONG, Asia, Rome

☆ OpenAI calls time on alt-governance experiment
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Jonathan Guilford | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

But the stakes at OpenAI, which develops the potentially world-reshaping ChatGPT, are higher. To stay true to its charter, the board must be ready to take actions that financial backers find intolerable. When it threatened to hire Altman and his staff, it effectively swiped the company out from under the board. Follow @JMAGuilford on XCONTEXT NEWSSam Altman has been reinstated as the chief executive of ChatGPT developer OpenAI, the company said on Nov. 21. The non-profit company that governs the startup had announced on Nov. 17 that its board had decided to fire Altman.

Persons: Sam Altman, –, Mark Zuckerberg, Satya Nadella, Altman, Larry Summers, John Foley, Sharon Lam Organizations: Reuters, Microsoft, OpenAI’s, Google, Thomson Locations: OpenAI

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