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By Robert Cyran
A quest for tax savings has made digestible overseas targets attractive to U.S. buyers. Hospira’s potential $5 bln deal for a Danone unit highlights a fresh supply, for so-called “spinversions.” The odd combination also reflects the perverse incentives distorting corporate decisions.

EU will find Russian sanctions worth the pain

By Pierre Briancon
Europe has coordinated with the U.S. on broad new measures that will hit Russia hard. The weak EU recovery will also be hit. If the sanctions help change Moscow’s policies, the suffering will have paid off. If not, it makes sense to put Russia in financial quarantine.

China's political purges call for financial sequel

By John Foley
Investigating ex-security chief Zhou Yongkang shows China’s president is firmly in charge. That may help sustain faith in the Party. But other institutions need a scrub too. Exposing the money trail, and those who help the rich and mighty bypass the rules, is a logical next step.

MetLife CEO should revel in his anonymity

By Rob Cox
That almost no one knows ol’ so-and-so is good for shareholders. How he handles the mega-insurer’s likely designation as a systemic threat could change that. A Jamie Dimon-style fight would be foolish. Better to speak softly and keep the name Steve Kandarian out of headlines.

Deutsche/UBS: there’s life in EU bond trading yet

By Dominic Elliott
The two banks and Credit Suisse outperformed Wall Street in second-quarter debt trading. That bucks a trend that has seen U.S. rivals take market share. Of the two, Deutsche Bank looks better placed to gain from any sustained bounce back in fixed income.

Argentine opportunity cost is reason to cut deal

By Martin Hutchinson
Another default arguably might not make things immediately worse. But it would set back recent efforts to curry favor with international financiers. With maybe $300 bln needed to develop shale oil and gas alone, swallowing national pride and ponying up $15 bln look worth it.

China online funds’ yield hunt piles on risk

By John Foley
Money market funds like the one linked to Alibaba are buying longer-term assets to bolster yields. That could create a crunch if savers realise their assets aren’t as safe as cash. Freeing up bank deposit rates would remove the distortion that fueled the boom in the first place.
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