What’s Going On Here? Alibaba completed its share sale in Hong Kong, revealing $11 billion in hidden riches. What Does This Mean? Alibaba is actually already a public company: it raised a record $25 billion by selling shares in 2014. But it did so in New York rather than in the East because the Hong Kong Stock Exchange’s…
Author: Finterest
Ep 76: A Recipe For Success
What’s Going On Here? Morgan Stanley whipped up an optimistic prediction: it reckons the start of next year will provide all the ingredients we need for a global economic recovery. What Does This Mean? The past two years have seen global economic growth slow from 3.8% to 3%, in part because of the US-China trade…
Ep 75: Desperate Measures
What’s Going On Here? Oil firm Saudi Aramco came up short of the $2 trillion valuation it was aiming for in its forthcoming IPO, but it can still walk tall: the $1.7 trillion it now wants will still make it the world’s biggest public company. What Does This Mean? Aramco, which extracts and refines Saudi Arabia’s…
Ep 74: Out Of The Frying Pan
What’s Going On Here? Germany surprised economists by revealing its economy actually grew in the third quarter – but with weak economic data out of China, investors might worry Germany’s still headed for the fire. What Does This Mean? An ongoing effect of the US-China trade war is weaker economic growth than there otherwise would be, as purchases get deferred and…
Ep 73: Kwik-E-Walmart
What’s Going On Here? Walmart thanked investors and invited them to come again with third-quarter earnings that exceeded expectations. What Does This Mean? The retailer saw its stores’ third-quarter sales rise 3.2% from a year ago – more than predicted. That marks its 21st consecutive quarter of growth, a feat no other American retail chain has achieved. …
Ep 72: Disney Takes The Mickey
What’s Going On Here? Media giant Disney reported better-than-expected quarterly revenue and profit growth late last week – and Enchanted investors sent its shares up 4%. What Does This Mean? Disney’s last quarter was definitely more Beauty than Beast. Revenue from its iconic theme parks and broadcast networks grew – but the real Aladdin’s cave was its movie studio….
Ep 71: Gold Ain’t Glittering
What’s Going On Here? Gold and silver just had one of their worst weeks since 2017 as investors sent the precious metals’ prices falling. What Does This Mean? Both Better-than-expected quarterly updates from big multinational companies Progress towards a tentative US-China trade deal (reducing import costs and therefore boost companies’ earnings and economic growth), appear to have encouraged…
Ep 70: OK Computer
What’s Going On Here? “Just” $40 billion separates the values of Apple and Microsoft – the world’s largest and second-largest public companies. So here’s hoping Microsoft’s better-than-expected quarterly update will help it become fitter, happier, and more productive… What Does This Mean? Microsoft’s revenue and profit was higher than forecast, and the sky was the limit for the company’s…
Ep 69: Charm Offensive
What’s Going On Here? P&G impressed investors with the soft sell when it reported quarterly results. What Does This Mean? Last week’s consumer staples love-in gave way this week when Germany’s Reckitt Benckiser said it had sold fewer health and cleaning products than it hoped, and lowered its sales forecast for the rest of the year. P&G’s sales of similar…
Ep 68: Channel-Chopping
What’s Going On Here? Telecoms companies often boost their earnings by merging with one another – growing in size while cutting costs. But Sunrise’s $6 billion plan to buy rival Liberty Global’s Swiss cable network was cut short. What Does This Mean? Sunrise announced the Liberty deal back in February. To cover the costs, it would’ve had to reorganize its…
with HT 