Snap Inc. (NYSE: SNAP) – market cap as of 10/03/2017: $25.54bn Company Overview Snapchat, launched on July 2011 under the name Picaboo, defines itself as a camera company. However, most of us identify Snap as a multimedia application for image messaging. Before the app became widely known, other social media Read more…
Standard Life plc (SL.: LSE) – market cap as of 10/03/2017: £7.52bn Aberdeen Asset Management PLC (ADN: LSE) — market cap as of 10/03/2017: £3.77bn Introduction On March 6, 2017, it was announced that Standard Life plc (“Standard Life”) has agreed to acquire Aberdeen Asset Management PLC (“Aberdeen”) in an Read more…
Peugeot SA (EPA: UG) – market cap as of 11/03/2017: €15.79bn General Motors Co. (NYSE: GM) – market cap as of 11/03/2017: $55.17bn Introduction On March 6, 2017, PSA Group announced an agreement with General Motors Co. whereby the French holding will acquire GM’s Opel and Vauxhall subsidiaries, together with Read more…
United States The S&P 500 closed at $2,372.60, slightly depreciating when compared with the beginning of the week, where it was standing at $2,375.32, but still higher than the weeks’ low of $2,357.98. Similar was the fate of both the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the NASDAQ, as they closed Read more…
On March 8, 2017 crude oil plummeted more than 5%, with WTI price falling through $50 a barrel for the first time since December. The sudden move was triggered by EIA reporting a massive build-up in American crude oil inventories, hitting record levels according to data going back to 1982. Read more…
In 1993 in the New York stock exchange the first Exchange Traded Fund was established. Since then, the number of ETFs has exponentially increased, and now accounts for about 4000 funds. This instrument tries to replicate an already existing benchmark with a typically small tracking error and lower cost than Read more…
Safran S.A. (EPA: SAF) – market cap as of 03/03/2017: €28.61bn Zodiac Aerospace S.A. (EPA: ZC) – market cap as of 03/03/2017: €8.03bn Introduction On January 19, 2017, the French multinational plane engine manufacturer Safran announced that it had entered into an agreement to acquire the aircraft seat supplier Zodiac Read more…
Heineken N.V. (AMS:HEIA) – market cap as of 3/3/17: €45.05bn Kirin Holdings Co. Ltd. (TYO:2504) – market cap as of 3/3/17: ¥1.82tn (€15.05bn) Introduction On February 13, 2017, Japanese brewer Kirin Holdings Company has agreed to sell its Brazilian beer business to Heineken for ¥77bn (€664m). The deal will make Read more…
Introduction The aim of this article is to analyse the current CDS spread of France with respect to Germany, and propose a profitable strategy for betting on the convergence of the spreads. The article is going to provide a brief introduction on the topic of CDS, followed by a short Read more…
Market Recap 05-03-2017 United States Despite experiencing a downward correction towards the closing of the week, US equity indices reached new record levels. The Dow Jones Industrial Average reached a new record level by breaching the 21.000 mark. On Wednesday, it peaked at 21.115, to close the week at 21.005, Read more…
The Blackstone Group L.P. (NYSE: BX) – market cap as of 24/02/2017: $35.23bn Aon plc (NYSE: AON) – market cap as of 24/02/2017: $30.67bn Introduction On February 10, 2017, Blackstone agreed to acquire Aon’s employee benefits outsourcing unit for $4.8bn. Blackstone will pay $4.3bn in cash to Aon’s shareholders, and Read more…
Kraft Heinz Company (NASDAQ:KHC)—market cap as of 24/02/17: $112.79bn Unilever plc (LON:ULVR)—market cap as of 24/02/17: £112.08bn (€133.46bn) Introduction On February 17, 2017, it was reported that Kraft Heinz had made a £112bn ($143bn) takeover offer for the Anglo-Dutch conglomerate, Unilever. A deal would have created the world’s second largest Read more…
Restaurant Brands International Inc. (NYSE: QSR) – market cap as of 24/02/2017: $25.666bn Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen Inc. (NASDAQ: PLKI) – market cap as of 24/02/2017: $1.638bn Introduction On February 21, 2017, the multinational fast food company Restaurant Brands International (RBI) – parent company of Burger King – announced that it Read more…
United States Last week was a particular good one for American equities. Indeed, the Dow Jones Index scored four record high closures in a row, up 0.96% from last week’s close. Smaller gains were scored also by the S&P 500 (+0.69%) and the Nasdaq Composite (+0.12%). It is worth noting Read more…
Assicurazioni Generali: Business Snapshot Assicurazioni Generali SpA is an Italy-based insurance company. It is the largest Italian insurance company and the third in the world by revenues (net earned premiums of €68,507m for the most recent available FY 2015). It operates through two segments: Life (FY 2015 net earned premiums Read more…