Food giants strain to cut the corporate mustard

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 visit megaphone.fm/adchoices to opt-out of targeted advertising.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 M&A recipe for dud food Visit the Thomson Reuters Privacy Statement for information on our privacy and data protection practices. You may also visit megaphone.fm/adchoices to opt-out of targeted advertising.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 fails the smell test Visit the Thomson Reuters Privacy Statement for information on our privacy and data protection practices. You may also visit megaphone.fm/adchoices to opt-out of targeted advertising. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Nordisk's illness offers painful lessons Novo Nordisk’s falling knife is still gathering speed Obesity pills are shaky Hail Mary for Novo Nordisk Visit the Thomson Reuters Privacy Statement for information on our privacy and data protection practices. You may also visit megaphone.fm/adchoices to opt-out of targeted advertising. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Privacy Statement for information on our privacy and data protection practices. You may also visit megaphone.fm/adchoices to opt-out of targeted advertising.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Privacy Statement for information on our privacy and data protection practices. You may also visit megaphone.fm/adchoices to opt-out of targeted advertising. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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.fm/adchoices to opt-out of targeted advertising.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 megaphone.fm/adchoices to opt-out of targeted advertising.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 visit megaphone.fm/adchoices to opt-out of targeted advertising. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 visit megaphone.fm/adchoices to opt-out of targeted advertising.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices