Stay updated with breaking news from Views Flash. Get real-time updates on events, politics, business, and more. Visit us for reliable news and exclusive interviews.
American Tower is paying 7.7 bln euros for Telefonica’s 31,000 sites in Europe and Latin America. The rich price tag makes the Spanish firm a clear winner. By creating a new rival to leader Cellnex, the deal may also help peers like Orange or Deutsche Telekom sell their assets.
The country’s government is collapsing amid internal squabbling. That may complicate tapping some 200 bln euros of EU funds, hurting the recovery, or even lead to messy elections. Central bank boss Christine Lagarde’s monetary bazooka should cushion debt market jitters, for now.
The $36 bln Swiss cement maker’s 2015 merger hasn’t really worked. Branching out into roofing by acquiring the U.S. division of Japan’s Bridgestone for $3.4 bln could pay off if a stateside stimulus spurs infrastructure spending. But LafargeHolcim’s bet looks relatively pricey.
Woolworths pared manager bonuses so that over 100,000 employees could get a little slice of equity in the Aussie supermarket chain. More companies should follow suit. What’s good for Silicon Valley and Wall Street is good for everyone, starting with frontline pandemic workers.
The ideal nation to emerge from Covid-19 has South Korea’s superb internet connections and technology know-how. Like Singapore, robots are widely used in industry. And it boasts skilled workers to rival Switzerland, sells high-value exports to China, and leads on green energy.