Breakingviews

European banks turn tables on Wall Street

By Dominic Elliott

The author is a Reuters Breakingviews columnist. The opinions expressed are his own.

Two of Europe’s biggest investment banking firms have defied fears they would fall behind Wall Street peers in the first quarter. Credit Suisse and Barclays succeeded in maintaining revenue in investment banking year-on-year, against an average drop of 7 percent among U.S. peers. Costs fell too. Given their recent history, the decision by both banks to maintain sizeable investment banking operations is controversial. But the numbers provide some justification.

Return to glory days may elude Japan’s automakers

By Antony Currie

(The author is a Reuters Breakingviews columnist. The opinions expressed are his own)

The weakening yen is good news for Japan’s automakers. The more than 20 percent drop in the currency’s value against the dollar since early October will boost profit from overseas sales – and probably market share, too. A return to the glory days of 2006, though, is likely to prove elusive.

Will Netflix star in “The Easter Island Effect”?

By Robert Cyran
The author is a Reuters Breakingviews columnist. The opinions expressed are his own.

Will Netflix have a starring role in “The Easter Island Effect”? The Internet video service seems to be using up resources faster than it can produce them. New series like “House of Cards” lure customers, at a cost. Netflix cash flow remains negative and obligations are rising. It’s starting to evoke the centuries-old Polynesian society that eventually exhausted its means of sustenance.

Barnier broadside leaves EU looking soft on banks

By Dominic Elliott

The author is a Reuters Breakingviews columnist. The opinions expressed are his own.

The European Union’s top financial regulator seems out of touch on banking reform. His peers want banks to keep more capital, but Michel Barnier says the United States should give European banks a break.

Mafia and Cyprus may release IPO animal spirits

By Robert Cyran

The author is a Reuters Breakingviews columnist. The opinions expressed are his own.

The mafia and Cyprus could trigger a full release of animal spirits. High debt didn’t deter buyers from this month’s Intelsat and SeaWorld initial public offerings. Now comes Qiwi, a Cyprus-domiciled, Russian payment system warning about the potential effects of organized crime, the island’s bailout, money laundering and a dual-class share structure. It puts investor appetite to the ultimate test.

ABB takes a shine to solar

By Quentin Webb

The author is a Reuters Breakingviews columnist. The opinions expressed are his own.

ABB’s contrarian push into solar energy looks smart. The Swiss group is buying Nasdaq-listed Power-One for $1 billion in cash – a fully priced deal, given the solar industry’s current financial misery. But ABB insists Power-One occupies a sweet spot. That sounds plausible, and long term, the deal should add up.

Is Microsoft the quiet villain of global finance?

By Richard Beales

The author is a Reuters Breakingviews columnist. The opinions expressed are his own.

Microsoft may be the quiet villain of global finance. Excel errors overstated pre-crisis structured finance ratings, dented JPMorgan’s risk management just as banks were on the mend, and tripped up influential fiscal policy ideas. The rest of the Office suite of “productivity” applications – the bulk of a division responsible for $24 billion in revenue in the last fiscal year – seems equally apt to court trouble.

Hostile drug deal gets too clever for its own good

By Robert Cyran
The author is a Reuters Breakingviews columnist. The opinions expressed are his own.

Royalty Pharma is suffering from some self-inflicted wounds in its hostile pursuit of Elan. The finance firm tried to use the drug maker’s $1 billion stock buyback to swoop up the entire company. But it devised a puzzlingly complex tender offer that was too clever for its own good. The scheme ended up replacing a long-term shareholder with other investors far more likely to demand a chunkier premium.

Crackdowns only make M&A leaks more tempting

By Jeffrey Goldfarb
The author is a Reuters Breakingviews columnist. The opinions expressed are his own.

Cracking down on M&A leaks may only make them more tempting. Merger practitioners say fresh research showing that news is trickling out less often about companies for sale can partly be attributed to tougher rules and enforcement. Though loose lips come with less chance of deals closing, they also coincide with much higher premiums. Some bankers will always fancy that mix of risk and reward.

Gunsmith finds cold shoulders on Wall Street

By Robert Cyran
The author is a Reuters Breakingviews columnist. The opinions expressed are his own.

Financiers typically turn away fees as willingly as dogs give up steaks. But Wall Street banks are leery of financing bids for gun maker Freedom Group for fear of damaging their reputations. Making assault rifles, it turns out, has joined pornography on the list of activities with risks that money can’t hide.