Viewsroom

The empire led by Brian Roberts will split into a cable and a media company, after steadily rising pressure halved its share price. In this week’s Viewsroom, Breakingviews columnists play out the deals that could follow, and why any buyer could just inherit the same doom loop. Breakingviews: Comcast consciously uncouples from TV marriage Visit the Thomson Reuters Privacy Statement for information...

Whiskey distiller Brown-Forman’s $30 bln tie-up talks point to a broader problem. Older drinkers are disappearing, and younger ones have different, more moderate tastes. In this week’s Viewsroom, Breakingviews columnists discuss the leaner future for alcohol purveyors. Big Booze can sweat off its multi-year hangover Visit the Thomson Reuters Privacy Statement for information on our privacy and dat...

Spending by companies on software and models could hit $680 bln next year. In this Viewsroom podcast, Breakingviews columnists debate whether AI giants like OpenAI and Anthropic will benefit from new pricing or whether soaring costs will push CFOs to seek cheaper options. Breakingviews: Corporate AI sticker shock will force restraint Visit the Thomson Reuters Privacy Statement for information on o...

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and his counterparts are reluctantly contemplating action to address a yawning €360 bln deficit with the People’s Republic. In this week’s Viewsroom, Breakingviews columnists debate whether the continent can actually form a united front. Breakingviews: Merz wavering cripples EU’s tough China stand Visit the Thomson Reuters Privacy Statement for information on our p...

As once-vocal inflation hawk Kevin Warsh prepares for his first meeting as the central bank’s chair, prices are now rising at a sharp 4% rate. In this week’s Viewsroom, Breakingviews columnists debate how he can square the obvious remedy with President Trump’s rate-cut demands. Breakingviews: Summer heat will make Warsh sweat Breakingviews: Vanishing Fed rate cuts could buy time for Warsh Visit th...

The $113 bln oil major is reeling after it parted company with the leader of its board, Albert Manifold. In this Viewsroom podcast, Breakingviews columnists discuss the company’s governance missteps, and why the latest drama makes it vulnerable to a takeover. Breakingviews: BP chair requires low testosterone, iron backbone Breakingviews: BP permacrisis overshadows strategic success Visit the Thoms...

Elon Musk’s rocket company is preparing for a stock market take-off. In this Viewsroom podcast, Breakingviews columnists debate how the Tesla boss explains the stratospheric valuation, and why shareholders might be willing to forgo basic rights to get a slice of the action. Breakingviews SpaceX interactive calculator Breakingviews: SpaceX orbits an AI black hole The Big View: Separating science fi...

Bumper returns promised by the $3.5 trln non-bank lending industry are giving way to rising defaults and falling income. In this week’s Viewsroom, Breakingviews columnists discuss how old-guard financiers juiced the trade with extra leverage, and the fresh dangers it poses. Breakingviews: Wall Street massages its private credit risk gauge Visit the Thomson Reuters Privacy Statement for information...

The country’s $4 trln consumer-led economy is already seeing a slowdown in hiring and firms like Oracle are laying off staff. In this Viewsroom podcast, Breakingviews columnists explain why India is so vulnerable and how the situation may play out elsewhere. Breakingviews: AI job shock risks throttling India’s consumption Breakingviews: India IT needs new model to code past AI crunch Visit the Tho...

With UK 10-year debt yielding 5%, roughly the highest in over a decade, PM Keir Starmer may face brutal losses in local polls. He could then leave, or steer left. In this Viewsroom podcast, Breakingviews columnists discuss the impact on the country’s budget policy and markets. Visit the Thomson Reuters Privacy Statement for information on our privacy and data protection practices. You may also vis...

The Iran conflict is showing no signs of ending with the price of crude teetering above $100 a barrel. In this Viewsroom podcast, Breakingviews columnists discuss how the fallout from the closure of the Strait of Hormuz will be felt acutely in Europe when the crunch arrives. Breakingviews: Oil market’s demand crunch is about to go global Breakingviews: Airline fuel cloud lacks 2022-style silver li...

The world’s largest carmakers descended on the Chinese capital for the industry’s annual shindig. In this Viewsroom podcast, Breakingviews columnists debate whether $100-a-barrel oil will jolt demand for electric vehicles, or if economic pain will deter consumers from splurging. Breakingviews: Oil shock will speed electric cars’ comeback Visit the Thomson Reuters Privacy Statement for information...

Economists gathered this week for the IMF and World Bank meetings amid soaring oil prices. In this Viewsroom podcast, Breakingviews columnists discuss how debt-laden countries face an impossible task of managing inflation, higher rates and defence demands while protecting voters. Visit the Thomson Reuters Privacy Statement for information on our privacy and data protection practices. You may also...

Whether it’s Kraft Heinz weighing a split of its ketchup and hot-dog units or Unilever sealing a $65 bln mayonnaise deal, edible empires are coming apart. In this week’s Viewsroom, Breakingviews columnists debate consumer groups’ sticky spot between ultra-budget and luxe rivals. Unilever food spinoff is a tricky M&A soufflé The Week in Breakingviews: End of corporate empire Unilever finds elegant...

The mega-merger boom persists with Unilever’s $65 bln mayo-to-mustard combo while beauty giant Estée Lauder holds talks with Puig. In this week’s Viewsroom, Breakingviews columnists debate whether the good times will keep rolling or if CEOs will get spooked by oil prices and AI. M&A jamboree swings to syncopated rhythm Pernod and Jack Daniel’s would be a stiff cocktail Estée Lauder’s Puig approach...

As war rages and Donald Trump looms, a recent election featured little mention of the ailing $164 bln drugmaker, once so successful it distorted economic figures. In this week’s Viewsroom, Breakingviews columnists discuss the future of weight loss pills, and Novo’s place in it. (This episode has been corrected to remove a statement that Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy pill needs to be refrigerated.) Novo No...

OpenAI and Anthropic, together valued at over $1 trln, have raised vast sums from a panoply of backers in the thus-far unprofitable quest to perfect silicon intelligence. In this week’s Viewsroom, Breakingviews columnists discern the signs that this enthusiasm is hard to sustain. What happens if OpenAI or Anthropic fail? Anthropic gives lesson in AI revenue hallucination Visit the Thomson Reuters...

Though investors are still pricing in a swift end to the Middle East conflict, the disruption to oil and gas flows from the region is producing early signs of stress. In this week’s Viewsroom, Breakingviews columnists debate how bad the economic and political fallout could get. Iran shock creates problematic fiscal loop Iran conflict is fresh threat to US fiscal future Visit the Thomson Reuters Pr...

Attacks launched by the United States and Israel led to immediate escalation, embroiling neighboring countries and imperiling key oil and gas shipping routes. In this week’s Viewsroom, Breakingviews columnists debate the lasting impact on the region and the world. Visit the Thomson Reuters Privacy Statement for information on our privacy and data protection practices. You may also visit megaphone....

The US may be on the hook for $175 bln worth of refunds after the Supreme Court deemed the president’s tariffs illegal. In this Viewsroom podcast, Breakingviews columnists discuss the opportunities for countries now eyeing a weakened Trump and what’s likely to come next. Visit the Thomson Reuters Privacy Statement for information on our privacy and data protection practices. You may also visit meg...

A summit in Munich offered a window into the continent’s anxieties over defence as transatlantic ties fray, battlefield tactics shift, and budgets ramp up. In this Viewsroom podcast, Breakingviews columnists debate whether an 800 bln euro spending spree is up to the challenge. Visit the Thomson Reuters Privacy Statement for information on our privacy and data protection practices. You may also vis...

Shares in software giants like Salesforce sank amid fears of competition from chatbots, implying pain for private equity’s bet on the industry. In this Viewsroom podcast, Breakingviews columnists discuss how asset managers may take a hit whether AI lives up to its promise or not. Visit the Thomson Reuters Privacy Statement for information on our privacy and data protection practices. You may also...

Voters will go to the polls on Sunday and may back the government’s economic stimulus package. In this Viewsroom podcast, Breakingviews columnists discuss how soaring bond yields could entice homegrown investors back to Japan and the impact that will have on the global economy. Visit the Thomson Reuters Privacy Statement for information on our privacy and data protection practices. You may also vi...

European companies are steadily deserting home exchanges to head for Big Apple bourses. Some $1 trln of re-listings may await. In this week’s Viewsroom, Breakingviews columnists debate whether anything can be done to reverse the flow, or if it points to deeper economic issues. Visit the Thomson Reuters Privacy Statement for information on our privacy and data protection practices. You may also vis...

Diverging fates for copper and coal open opportunities for industry-reshuffling M&A, led by Glencore and Rio Tinto’s mulled $215 bln tie-up. In this week’s Viewsroom, Breakingviews columnists debate whether it will happen, or if egos and fear of past failure will reign. Visit the Thomson Reuters Privacy Statement for information on our privacy and data protection practices. You may also visit mega...