1 00:00:02,440 --> 00:00:05,160 Speaker 1: This is the Bloomberg Day ba QT podcast, available every 2 00:00:05,160 --> 00:00:08,559 Speaker 1: morning on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen. It's Wednesday, 3 00:00:08,560 --> 00:00:10,080 Speaker 1: the twenty eighth of February in London. 4 00:00:10,119 --> 00:00:11,400 Speaker 2: I'm Caroline Hepki. 5 00:00:11,280 --> 00:00:14,440 Speaker 3: And I'm Stephen Carroll. Coming up today, Executives at some 6 00:00:14,480 --> 00:00:17,840 Speaker 3: of Wall Street's biggest banks praised Paris but warned that 7 00:00:17,880 --> 00:00:20,840 Speaker 3: French labor protections could hurt further expansion. 8 00:00:21,120 --> 00:00:24,680 Speaker 1: Apple ditches it's much hyped plan to build an electric 9 00:00:24,880 --> 00:00:27,800 Speaker 1: car with some staff going to AI, and. 10 00:00:27,720 --> 00:00:30,240 Speaker 3: We look at why central bankers who used to keep 11 00:00:30,280 --> 00:00:32,560 Speaker 3: out of politics are now wading in. 12 00:00:32,920 --> 00:00:34,960 Speaker 2: Let's start with a round up of our top stories. 13 00:00:35,720 --> 00:00:38,760 Speaker 3: Wall Street's biggest banks have seen staffing levels surge in 14 00:00:38,880 --> 00:00:42,880 Speaker 3: Paris since Brexit, but now executives are warning further expansion 15 00:00:42,960 --> 00:00:47,520 Speaker 3: could be limited by France's strict labor protections. Representatives from JP, 16 00:00:47,680 --> 00:00:50,880 Speaker 3: Morgan City Group, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley. We're speaking 17 00:00:50,920 --> 00:00:53,360 Speaker 3: at a Bloomberg event in the French capital. Here's what 18 00:00:53,479 --> 00:00:57,120 Speaker 3: Cecil Ratcliffe, City Group's chief country officer for France told 19 00:00:57,200 --> 00:00:59,080 Speaker 3: us one. 20 00:00:59,040 --> 00:01:00,840 Speaker 2: Hundred and seventy p before breaks it. 21 00:01:01,000 --> 00:01:03,680 Speaker 4: Now we are more than four hundred and we have 22 00:01:03,800 --> 00:01:06,880 Speaker 4: extended the office open in a second trending four to 23 00:01:06,920 --> 00:01:09,800 Speaker 4: be able to coop up to a six hundred without 24 00:01:09,840 --> 00:01:10,720 Speaker 4: having to move again. 25 00:01:12,400 --> 00:01:16,120 Speaker 3: Despite the sales Rackliff's updeat Tone, executives also warned that 26 00:01:16,160 --> 00:01:18,680 Speaker 3: the cost of labor and the difficulties in being able 27 00:01:18,720 --> 00:01:22,080 Speaker 3: to cut staff on a downturn were factors and considering 28 00:01:22,120 --> 00:01:24,920 Speaker 3: more hiring. The comments come as the world's largest banks 29 00:01:24,959 --> 00:01:27,600 Speaker 3: have shared thousands of jobs in recent months. Amid a 30 00:01:27,640 --> 00:01:29,280 Speaker 3: dearth of deal making. 31 00:01:29,720 --> 00:01:34,000 Speaker 1: Apple is counseling it's decade long effort to build an 32 00:01:34,040 --> 00:01:38,480 Speaker 1: electric car. The multi billion dollar project, dubbed Project Titan 33 00:01:38,600 --> 00:01:42,199 Speaker 1: internally began in twenty fourteen and would have vaulted Apple 34 00:01:42,240 --> 00:01:45,399 Speaker 1: into a whole new industry. The decision to wind down 35 00:01:45,440 --> 00:01:48,080 Speaker 1: the unit came as a relief though to investors, who 36 00:01:48,120 --> 00:01:51,840 Speaker 1: sent shares climbing after Boomberg reported the news. Bloomberg's chief 37 00:01:51,840 --> 00:01:55,080 Speaker 1: correspondent Mark German broke the story. 38 00:01:54,840 --> 00:01:58,400 Speaker 5: This is a bombshell development. This is a very rare 39 00:01:58,640 --> 00:02:02,040 Speaker 5: retreat for Apple. This is a project that they've invested 40 00:02:02,560 --> 00:02:05,640 Speaker 5: over ten billion dollars in. They've worked on it for 41 00:02:05,760 --> 00:02:09,000 Speaker 5: over ten years. It's had many fits and starts, it's 42 00:02:09,040 --> 00:02:10,600 Speaker 5: had many directional changes. 43 00:02:11,840 --> 00:02:15,680 Speaker 1: Mark Geerman's reporting suggests that as many as two thousand 44 00:02:15,760 --> 00:02:19,240 Speaker 1: employees currently working on the project will be shifted to 45 00:02:19,280 --> 00:02:23,560 Speaker 1: the firm's artificial intelligence division. It is understood that there 46 00:02:23,600 --> 00:02:26,320 Speaker 1: will be layoffs, even if it's unclear how many. 47 00:02:27,160 --> 00:02:30,480 Speaker 3: The Swedish fintech Klarn is sounding out investment banks ahead 48 00:02:30,480 --> 00:02:32,880 Speaker 3: of a potential initial public offering of shares in the 49 00:02:32,960 --> 00:02:35,720 Speaker 3: United States. According to people familiar with the matter, the 50 00:02:35,760 --> 00:02:38,200 Speaker 3: stock market listing could happen as early as the third 51 00:02:38,240 --> 00:02:41,480 Speaker 3: quarter of this year and value the buy now, pay 52 00:02:41,600 --> 00:02:45,760 Speaker 3: later Giant at around twenty billion dollars. Going public might 53 00:02:45,800 --> 00:02:48,359 Speaker 3: spell the end of a difficult period for the company, 54 00:02:48,440 --> 00:02:51,880 Speaker 3: which saw its valuation full from forty five point six 55 00:02:51,919 --> 00:02:55,480 Speaker 3: billion dollars in twenty twenty one to six point seven 56 00:02:55,520 --> 00:02:57,000 Speaker 3: billion the following year. 57 00:02:57,960 --> 00:03:01,960 Speaker 1: And now to some macro thoughts, Golbin sachs Is CEO 58 00:03:02,040 --> 00:03:06,240 Speaker 1: David Solomon says that softer spending by consumers calls into 59 00:03:06,320 --> 00:03:10,360 Speaker 1: question expectations that the US economy will avoid a recession. 60 00:03:10,520 --> 00:03:12,959 Speaker 1: Bloomberg's Charlie Pellett reports. 61 00:03:13,919 --> 00:03:17,280 Speaker 6: Solomon told a UBS Group conference quote the world is 62 00:03:17,320 --> 00:03:19,959 Speaker 6: set up for a soft landing. He added, the market 63 00:03:20,080 --> 00:03:23,560 Speaker 6: certainly perceives there's a very very high delta to a 64 00:03:23,639 --> 00:03:26,600 Speaker 6: soft landing. My own view is it's a little bit 65 00:03:26,639 --> 00:03:30,320 Speaker 6: more uncertain than that. Solomon said. Business chiefs have told 66 00:03:30,400 --> 00:03:33,560 Speaker 6: him that with prices still high, a pattern of tightening 67 00:03:33,600 --> 00:03:37,920 Speaker 6: in paycheck to paycheck spending behaviors has emerged in New York. 68 00:03:38,120 --> 00:03:39,760 Speaker 6: Charlie Pellett Bloomberg Radio. 69 00:03:40,520 --> 00:03:43,200 Speaker 3: The Bank of England Deputy Governor Dave Ramsden says the 70 00:03:43,240 --> 00:03:47,440 Speaker 3: central Bank might sell off its entire QE portfolio. It's 71 00:03:47,440 --> 00:03:49,480 Speaker 3: a move that would split the Bank of England off 72 00:03:49,480 --> 00:03:52,120 Speaker 3: from the FED and the ECB and could mean bond 73 00:03:52,200 --> 00:03:56,240 Speaker 3: sales worth hundreds of billions of pounds coming to Marcus Bloomberg. 74 00:03:56,320 --> 00:03:57,400 Speaker 3: James Wilcock has more. 75 00:03:58,120 --> 00:04:01,160 Speaker 7: The BWEY launched Quantitative Easy in two thousand and nine 76 00:04:01,280 --> 00:04:04,560 Speaker 7: during the financial crisis to avoid a depression. Rates were low, 77 00:04:04,840 --> 00:04:06,760 Speaker 7: and in the early years the bank made a profit 78 00:04:06,800 --> 00:04:09,280 Speaker 7: of one hundred and twenty four billion pounds, which the 79 00:04:09,360 --> 00:04:13,560 Speaker 7: UK government gladly spent. But now it's becoming a political risk, 80 00:04:13,880 --> 00:04:17,240 Speaker 7: with potential net losses of one hundred billion pounds that 81 00:04:17,480 --> 00:04:21,120 Speaker 7: would be covered by the taxpayer. This might explain both 82 00:04:21,200 --> 00:04:24,039 Speaker 7: Ramsden's comments and why the bank's selling bonds at nearly 83 00:04:24,120 --> 00:04:26,839 Speaker 7: twice the rate of the Fed and the ECB. The 84 00:04:26,960 --> 00:04:29,599 Speaker 7: question is how much of its seven hundred and thirty 85 00:04:29,640 --> 00:04:32,600 Speaker 7: five billion pound portfolio will we put on the market 86 00:04:33,160 --> 00:04:35,279 Speaker 7: in London? James Wilcock, Bloomberg Radio. 87 00:04:36,360 --> 00:04:39,680 Speaker 1: And finally, a return to office policy at Deutsche Bank 88 00:04:39,760 --> 00:04:43,479 Speaker 1: is sparking backlash from employees. The bank told staff two 89 00:04:43,480 --> 00:04:46,400 Speaker 1: weeks ago that all employees would be required to come 90 00:04:46,440 --> 00:04:48,880 Speaker 1: in at least three days a week starting in June. 91 00:04:48,960 --> 00:04:51,799 Speaker 1: According to a memo seen by Bloomberg, a large number 92 00:04:51,800 --> 00:04:55,520 Speaker 1: of workers criticized the move, prompting CEO Christian Saving and 93 00:04:55,640 --> 00:05:00,600 Speaker 1: COO Rebeccah Short to plan renewed discussions about the changes. 94 00:05:01,080 --> 00:05:04,200 Speaker 1: The criticism is largely from staff in Germany, where a 95 00:05:04,320 --> 00:05:07,640 Speaker 1: labor union is demanding a fourteen and a half percent 96 00:05:07,880 --> 00:05:10,920 Speaker 1: wage rise for staff in several units. 97 00:05:11,520 --> 00:05:12,080 Speaker 2: Now, in a. 98 00:05:12,000 --> 00:05:14,640 Speaker 1: Moment, we'll bring you more about what top bankers are 99 00:05:14,680 --> 00:05:19,480 Speaker 1: saying around their expansion plans for Paris Plus, while European 100 00:05:19,560 --> 00:05:23,919 Speaker 1: central bankers are stepping into unknown territory. 101 00:05:23,480 --> 00:05:24,800 Speaker 2: When it comes to politics. 102 00:05:24,839 --> 00:05:27,880 Speaker 1: But first, in terms of that news about Apple dropping 103 00:05:27,920 --> 00:05:31,239 Speaker 1: the project to develop an electric car. It is really 104 00:05:31,320 --> 00:05:34,560 Speaker 1: worth a read. There's a piece out on it also 105 00:05:34,680 --> 00:05:37,960 Speaker 1: by our opinion columnist Dave Lee. I mean still try 106 00:05:38,040 --> 00:05:41,680 Speaker 1: to work out exactly why Apple made this surprise move. 107 00:05:41,839 --> 00:05:43,200 Speaker 1: Perhaps lack of progress. 108 00:05:43,400 --> 00:05:46,080 Speaker 3: I've really enjoyed Dave could of delving into the fantasy 109 00:05:46,120 --> 00:05:49,719 Speaker 3: world of what could have been with Apple's self driving car, 110 00:05:49,760 --> 00:05:52,599 Speaker 3: talking about perhaps they may have been the first ones 111 00:05:52,640 --> 00:05:55,679 Speaker 3: to go to full self driving. That was one of 112 00:05:55,480 --> 00:05:58,479 Speaker 3: the things that's been reported about this project over the 113 00:05:58,560 --> 00:06:01,760 Speaker 3: years as well. He said his favorite report of all 114 00:06:01,839 --> 00:06:04,200 Speaker 3: time was Apple looking into a deal with McLaren that 115 00:06:04,200 --> 00:06:08,520 Speaker 3: could have created a British supercar with Apple's help as well. 116 00:06:08,520 --> 00:06:10,760 Speaker 3: And he sort of says that there could always, even 117 00:06:10,800 --> 00:06:13,600 Speaker 3: with the cancelation of this project now, that there could 118 00:06:13,640 --> 00:06:16,520 Speaker 3: be rumors of an Apple car being worked on somewhere 119 00:06:16,520 --> 00:06:18,839 Speaker 3: in the bottles of Coopertino for years to come. 120 00:06:18,920 --> 00:06:21,560 Speaker 1: But that's the fantasy vehicle, right, I mean, if it 121 00:06:21,600 --> 00:06:24,480 Speaker 1: were as slick as the Apple life, which no doubt 122 00:06:24,600 --> 00:06:27,880 Speaker 1: that's what Apple would want. The reality though, of creating 123 00:06:27,920 --> 00:06:30,159 Speaker 1: that vehicle perhaps a little bit more difficult. 124 00:06:30,279 --> 00:06:33,400 Speaker 3: Well, for now, anyway, that project is on ice well 125 00:06:33,440 --> 00:06:34,920 Speaker 3: let's get more now. In our top story in the 126 00:06:34,920 --> 00:06:38,440 Speaker 3: evolution of Paris's financial industry, major banks have added staff 127 00:06:38,440 --> 00:06:40,640 Speaker 3: in the French capital since Brexit, but they're warning that 128 00:06:40,680 --> 00:06:44,880 Speaker 3: they're hesitant to hire more because of French labor protections. 129 00:06:44,880 --> 00:06:48,120 Speaker 3: Senior executives from Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and JP Morgan 130 00:06:48,279 --> 00:06:51,520 Speaker 3: have been speaking at Bloomberg's Paris office. 131 00:06:51,600 --> 00:06:54,719 Speaker 8: The labor market is complicated in France, you know, having 132 00:06:54,760 --> 00:06:57,480 Speaker 8: more flexibility something that is important to all of us, 133 00:06:57,560 --> 00:07:00,599 Speaker 8: and when you grow headcounts in a Nepal where it 134 00:07:00,680 --> 00:07:02,000 Speaker 8: becomes more and more important. 135 00:07:02,279 --> 00:07:05,359 Speaker 7: We are cyclical industry and that we need to be 136 00:07:05,440 --> 00:07:08,440 Speaker 7: able to be flexible on the headcount. 137 00:07:08,600 --> 00:07:10,840 Speaker 5: You need to tell the juniors, the graduate if you 138 00:07:10,840 --> 00:07:13,000 Speaker 5: want to have an international career, you can go to London, 139 00:07:13,360 --> 00:07:15,440 Speaker 5: you can go to New York, but you can also 140 00:07:15,480 --> 00:07:18,080 Speaker 5: go to Paris, because Paris is becoming much more international now. 141 00:07:19,120 --> 00:07:22,080 Speaker 3: That was Macdanglo from Goldman Sachs and Annual Goldstein from 142 00:07:22,120 --> 00:07:25,320 Speaker 3: Morgan Stanley and Alexis Steinman from JP Morgan, all of 143 00:07:25,320 --> 00:07:29,920 Speaker 3: whom lead there banks French operations. They were speaking to 144 00:07:30,080 --> 00:07:32,520 Speaker 3: our editor at large, Francine Lack Gwen Franz joins us. 145 00:07:32,560 --> 00:07:35,480 Speaker 3: Now morning to you, fran These are Wall Street banks 146 00:07:35,520 --> 00:07:38,760 Speaker 3: have all expanded rapidly in Paris, says Bragg. So it's 147 00:07:38,800 --> 00:07:41,480 Speaker 3: something that couldn't have been imagined a decade ago. Are 148 00:07:41,480 --> 00:07:43,920 Speaker 3: they happy with their moves in France? And is their 149 00:07:44,000 --> 00:07:45,120 Speaker 3: room for further growth? 150 00:07:45,400 --> 00:07:48,280 Speaker 4: That's a million dollar questions Stephen. And So I was 151 00:07:48,280 --> 00:07:52,120 Speaker 4: in Paris actually to watch the French newsletter of our bureau, 152 00:07:52,360 --> 00:07:54,600 Speaker 4: and it was incredible to see so many bankers all 153 00:07:54,640 --> 00:07:57,320 Speaker 4: together trying to speak to each other. We had a 154 00:07:57,360 --> 00:07:59,560 Speaker 4: full room. I think people were standing at the bank. 155 00:08:00,000 --> 00:08:03,040 Speaker 4: It was interesting speaking to the heads of a City group. 156 00:08:03,160 --> 00:08:07,280 Speaker 4: We had Goldman, we had JP Morgan and others, and 157 00:08:07,320 --> 00:08:10,280 Speaker 4: they were saying, look, it's amazing how much, as you say, 158 00:08:10,320 --> 00:08:13,320 Speaker 4: maybe unthinkable just a couple of years ago, how much 159 00:08:13,360 --> 00:08:15,720 Speaker 4: they've grown their headcount. I mean Citygroup now has four 160 00:08:15,800 --> 00:08:19,040 Speaker 4: hundred people in the French capital. JP Morgan has nine hundred. 161 00:08:19,600 --> 00:08:23,200 Speaker 4: Morgan sent and they expect more, you know, staff for example, 162 00:08:23,200 --> 00:08:25,200 Speaker 4: and quantum research. And they were making the point that 163 00:08:25,400 --> 00:08:29,480 Speaker 4: because of French innovation, but also because of French education, 164 00:08:30,000 --> 00:08:32,960 Speaker 4: they're very good quants out there. What was interesting in 165 00:08:33,000 --> 00:08:36,000 Speaker 4: the conversation going forward is that these were country heads saying, look, 166 00:08:36,280 --> 00:08:39,240 Speaker 4: it's been brilliant. We've had the staff we've had, we've 167 00:08:39,240 --> 00:08:41,520 Speaker 4: been able to relocate people want to come and live 168 00:08:41,840 --> 00:08:44,640 Speaker 4: in Paris compared to other cities. But there's always going 169 00:08:44,720 --> 00:08:47,720 Speaker 4: to be a plateau unless the labor reform changes. So 170 00:08:47,760 --> 00:08:50,360 Speaker 4: it was interesting because it was quite a candid conversation, 171 00:08:50,920 --> 00:08:52,480 Speaker 4: and they were talking about the fact that it's not 172 00:08:52,559 --> 00:08:55,679 Speaker 4: really difficult to get bankers to come to Paris and 173 00:08:55,760 --> 00:08:59,200 Speaker 4: move to Paris, but it's difficult back home, you know, 174 00:08:59,400 --> 00:09:02,120 Speaker 4: New York or their head offices and their chief executives 175 00:09:02,160 --> 00:09:05,120 Speaker 4: are of the big group banks, to convince them to 176 00:09:05,160 --> 00:09:08,280 Speaker 4: have more staff and pairs, just because of the labor 177 00:09:08,360 --> 00:09:11,880 Speaker 4: laws being so restrictive. So it's expensive, it's difficult to 178 00:09:11,880 --> 00:09:13,959 Speaker 4: fire people. And so they say, you know, the main 179 00:09:14,000 --> 00:09:18,560 Speaker 4: barrier is basically the overall of treatment of workers, and 180 00:09:18,600 --> 00:09:20,960 Speaker 4: they said it's very important, but maybe white collar workers 181 00:09:21,000 --> 00:09:24,280 Speaker 4: could be treated differently to some of you know, the 182 00:09:25,200 --> 00:09:26,640 Speaker 4: workers that need more protection. 183 00:09:27,800 --> 00:09:30,320 Speaker 1: Well, that sort of sets up quite some clash, doesn't it, 184 00:09:30,360 --> 00:09:34,000 Speaker 1: between the sort of standards that the US has versus 185 00:09:34,040 --> 00:09:37,160 Speaker 1: the labor protections that France has president and manner in 186 00:09:37,200 --> 00:09:40,720 Speaker 1: Macon's government has put a lot of effort into trying 187 00:09:40,760 --> 00:09:44,880 Speaker 1: to make France more attractive to these sorts of businesses. 188 00:09:46,040 --> 00:09:47,840 Speaker 2: You know, is their flexibility. 189 00:09:47,880 --> 00:09:50,439 Speaker 1: What is being said about, you know, the warning around 190 00:09:50,480 --> 00:09:52,479 Speaker 1: the rigidity of labor protections. 191 00:09:53,920 --> 00:09:56,920 Speaker 4: Yeah, so that was number one thing, Caroline that really 192 00:09:56,920 --> 00:10:00,280 Speaker 4: came out. And it was incredible to have all five, 193 00:10:00,120 --> 00:10:04,319 Speaker 4: of course people on the panel really supporting McCown saying, look, 194 00:10:04,400 --> 00:10:07,400 Speaker 4: none of this would have been possible without Macomb. Of course, 195 00:10:07,480 --> 00:10:10,760 Speaker 4: Emanue Macon also former banker, and it's very clear that 196 00:10:10,880 --> 00:10:14,360 Speaker 4: when he came into power and he saw opportunities for Bregett. 197 00:10:14,800 --> 00:10:17,439 Speaker 4: Remember the famous word I'm rolling out the red carpet 198 00:10:17,760 --> 00:10:21,800 Speaker 4: that made so many people back mad in London. And 199 00:10:21,880 --> 00:10:25,080 Speaker 4: so again the move is quite complicated because if you 200 00:10:25,120 --> 00:10:27,839 Speaker 4: look at the move of bankers to Paris, two people 201 00:10:27,880 --> 00:10:30,120 Speaker 4: on the panel actually said, you know, I was happily 202 00:10:30,160 --> 00:10:33,000 Speaker 4: living in London for seventeen years. I didn't really want 203 00:10:33,040 --> 00:10:36,200 Speaker 4: to come back to Paris, but they were obliged by 204 00:10:36,200 --> 00:10:38,640 Speaker 4: their banks. But the move comes as there has been 205 00:10:38,679 --> 00:10:42,840 Speaker 4: this fight between Paris and Frankfurt and Madrid and Dublin 206 00:10:42,920 --> 00:10:47,200 Speaker 4: and others to be financial hubs and because of incentives, 207 00:10:47,400 --> 00:10:51,560 Speaker 4: for example, bankers that returned to France have better tax 208 00:10:51,600 --> 00:10:55,040 Speaker 4: advantages for the first five years they've been able to 209 00:10:55,080 --> 00:10:58,160 Speaker 4: do so, but then going forward it's unclear how much 210 00:10:58,320 --> 00:11:01,680 Speaker 4: many and Macom wants to give of course to you know, 211 00:11:01,720 --> 00:11:05,360 Speaker 4: banks and financial services without changing labor reforms as a whole. 212 00:11:05,960 --> 00:11:08,280 Speaker 4: And then you of course then have the budget here 213 00:11:08,280 --> 00:11:14,840 Speaker 4: in the UK with the Chancellor thinking of extremely compelling arguments. 214 00:11:14,880 --> 00:11:16,880 Speaker 4: He was saying, for example, he was very attracted to 215 00:11:16,920 --> 00:11:19,280 Speaker 4: the idea of creating a tax free savings account and 216 00:11:19,320 --> 00:11:23,440 Speaker 4: that would really boost you know, the struggling stock market 217 00:11:23,520 --> 00:11:26,560 Speaker 4: in the UK, and that's something that Paris would probably 218 00:11:26,559 --> 00:11:27,480 Speaker 4: look get quite jealously. 219 00:11:28,679 --> 00:11:31,520 Speaker 3: Frank, Was there a conclusion from your panel that peak 220 00:11:31,679 --> 00:11:35,080 Speaker 3: Paris has been reached or is this something that there 221 00:11:35,080 --> 00:11:36,240 Speaker 3: could be further to go on? 222 00:11:36,679 --> 00:11:38,959 Speaker 4: Yeah, I mean I think the panel was a little bit, 223 00:11:40,280 --> 00:11:42,880 Speaker 4: if not downbeat. They said, look, we've had it really 224 00:11:42,880 --> 00:11:45,559 Speaker 4: good and now it's going to be much more difficult 225 00:11:45,640 --> 00:11:48,360 Speaker 4: to grow from here. I think the only I guess 226 00:11:48,440 --> 00:11:51,079 Speaker 4: green Troots of Hopes is that twenty twenty three was 227 00:11:51,200 --> 00:11:54,720 Speaker 4: very an extremely difficult year for all banking because of 228 00:11:54,760 --> 00:11:57,840 Speaker 4: the mismatch in some of the prices that they're trying 229 00:11:57,880 --> 00:12:00,920 Speaker 4: to buy, because the capital markets was basically frozen because 230 00:12:00,920 --> 00:12:04,199 Speaker 4: they've had to buire of course, you know, or get 231 00:12:04,280 --> 00:12:06,680 Speaker 4: rid of a large number of headcounts because of the 232 00:12:06,760 --> 00:12:10,760 Speaker 4: slack also in pipelines and IPOs. And if you look 233 00:12:10,800 --> 00:12:13,760 Speaker 4: at that, you know, globally, I mean, I think we 234 00:12:13,840 --> 00:12:17,800 Speaker 4: had like hundreds of thousands of layoffs for someone like 235 00:12:18,120 --> 00:12:20,960 Speaker 4: Paris that is doing quite well in Europe but is 236 00:12:21,400 --> 00:12:24,520 Speaker 4: actually losing a lot of staff to New York or 237 00:12:24,520 --> 00:12:27,320 Speaker 4: Hong Kong or other hubs, maybe Singapore more than Hong Kong. 238 00:12:27,800 --> 00:12:29,800 Speaker 4: They were seeing, you know, the first green shoots of 239 00:12:29,840 --> 00:12:31,560 Speaker 4: twenty twenty four saying it's going to be a better 240 00:12:31,600 --> 00:12:33,600 Speaker 4: year for the banking system as a whole, and so 241 00:12:33,720 --> 00:12:38,280 Speaker 4: Paris will obviously benefit from that. But I think unless 242 00:12:38,320 --> 00:12:40,959 Speaker 4: the labor reforms, you know, change, it will be probably 243 00:12:40,960 --> 00:12:43,160 Speaker 4: difficult for these group heads to hire more. 244 00:12:44,120 --> 00:12:47,040 Speaker 1: Okay, Fancine, thank you so much for joining us. Our 245 00:12:47,160 --> 00:12:49,480 Speaker 1: editor at large, Francis Laco that in Paris. 246 00:12:49,640 --> 00:12:49,880 Speaker 2: Well. 247 00:12:50,000 --> 00:12:53,160 Speaker 1: Fran mentioned that you can read all Bloomberg's coverage from 248 00:12:53,200 --> 00:12:57,000 Speaker 1: France in a new weekly Paris edition newsletter. You can 249 00:12:57,040 --> 00:13:00,000 Speaker 1: sign up at bloomberg dot com Slash Newsletters. 250 00:13:00,280 --> 00:13:02,880 Speaker 3: Now, Bloomberg has learned that Apple has abandoned its decade 251 00:13:02,920 --> 00:13:05,360 Speaker 3: long effort to build an electric car and will shift 252 00:13:05,480 --> 00:13:08,319 Speaker 3: some of the team's two thousand staff to its generative 253 00:13:08,400 --> 00:13:12,280 Speaker 3: AI division. Investors cheered the move, with Apple shares ending higher. 254 00:13:12,320 --> 00:13:15,240 Speaker 3: Bloomberg's chief correspondent, the man will always gets the exclusives 255 00:13:15,240 --> 00:13:17,800 Speaker 3: on Apple. Mark Garmant joins us now from More Morning 256 00:13:17,840 --> 00:13:19,920 Speaker 3: to you, Mark, can you talk us through what we 257 00:13:20,040 --> 00:13:22,000 Speaker 3: know about this decision by Apple. 258 00:13:22,400 --> 00:13:26,080 Speaker 5: We know that Apple Tuesday morning in California time announced 259 00:13:26,120 --> 00:13:30,199 Speaker 5: internally amongst Special Projects Group, that's the team that has 260 00:13:30,240 --> 00:13:32,840 Speaker 5: been developing the car for the better part of the decade, 261 00:13:33,200 --> 00:13:36,079 Speaker 5: that the project is winding down. Some of the people, 262 00:13:36,120 --> 00:13:38,480 Speaker 5: like you said, would be moving to Apple's AI teams. 263 00:13:39,120 --> 00:13:42,880 Speaker 5: Other people would be working on Apple's core operating system 264 00:13:42,920 --> 00:13:46,120 Speaker 5: and software teams. Other people would be laid off, and 265 00:13:46,200 --> 00:13:47,800 Speaker 5: other people are going to have to search for new 266 00:13:47,880 --> 00:13:51,680 Speaker 5: jobs within the company, particularly those working on car hardware. 267 00:13:51,880 --> 00:13:56,640 Speaker 5: This is a bombshell development, a significant revelation for the 268 00:13:56,679 --> 00:14:00,800 Speaker 5: company coming to this decision. The car has many fits 269 00:14:00,800 --> 00:14:05,160 Speaker 5: and starts, it's been mind by leadership failures, in fighting 270 00:14:05,240 --> 00:14:09,920 Speaker 5: amongst executives, different opinions on what types of technologies Apple 271 00:14:09,920 --> 00:14:12,840 Speaker 5: should use. And they're finally, so to speak, pulling the 272 00:14:12,840 --> 00:14:15,400 Speaker 5: plug here or the electric plug I should say on 273 00:14:15,559 --> 00:14:16,360 Speaker 5: the car project? 274 00:14:16,960 --> 00:14:21,000 Speaker 1: Okay, and they didn't actually produce a car. Is this 275 00:14:21,080 --> 00:14:23,880 Speaker 1: a defeat for Apple? Is it a strategic move? 276 00:14:24,200 --> 00:14:25,280 Speaker 2: How do we think about it? 277 00:14:26,440 --> 00:14:29,280 Speaker 5: Oh, it's one hundred percent of defeat for Apple. It's 278 00:14:29,320 --> 00:14:31,960 Speaker 5: being spun as a strategic move in terms of how 279 00:14:31,960 --> 00:14:35,880 Speaker 5: they're reallocating resources. The idea though, is that they are 280 00:14:35,920 --> 00:14:39,080 Speaker 5: only reallocating these resources because they don't need them with 281 00:14:39,200 --> 00:14:42,000 Speaker 5: the car anymore, because they're not making a car. You know, 282 00:14:42,440 --> 00:14:44,760 Speaker 5: it's a chicken in the egg question or the egg question. 283 00:14:45,240 --> 00:14:48,160 Speaker 5: Did Apple do this to put resources on generative AI 284 00:14:48,800 --> 00:14:51,520 Speaker 5: or Apple do this because they needed somewhere to stick 285 00:14:51,560 --> 00:14:55,560 Speaker 5: all these people after the generative AI efforts failed, And obviously, 286 00:14:55,600 --> 00:14:58,360 Speaker 5: in my view the latter, they have a soft landing 287 00:14:58,400 --> 00:15:01,560 Speaker 5: for these people because they're talented and useful for the 288 00:15:01,600 --> 00:15:05,040 Speaker 5: AI efforts, for other software engineering efforts. But this only 289 00:15:05,040 --> 00:15:07,680 Speaker 5: happened because Apple failed to build the car, not because 290 00:15:07,680 --> 00:15:08,640 Speaker 5: they needed those people. 291 00:15:09,800 --> 00:15:13,320 Speaker 3: Is this symptomatic of a broader move from Apple away 292 00:15:13,360 --> 00:15:18,080 Speaker 3: from big, bold, new projects. You know, it's often referred to, 293 00:15:18,160 --> 00:15:20,920 Speaker 3: you know that since the iPhone, have the development's been 294 00:15:20,960 --> 00:15:23,680 Speaker 3: of the same scale. Is this a you know, a 295 00:15:23,720 --> 00:15:25,920 Speaker 3: bigger change in behind the scenes and Apple? 296 00:15:26,200 --> 00:15:28,120 Speaker 5: I don't think there's a bigger change. I think Apple 297 00:15:28,200 --> 00:15:30,440 Speaker 5: is still a company that relies on blockbusters or new 298 00:15:30,480 --> 00:15:31,320 Speaker 5: Harvard products. 299 00:15:31,600 --> 00:15:31,800 Speaker 4: Right. 300 00:15:31,880 --> 00:15:34,240 Speaker 5: Hardware is still where they get eighty percent of their 301 00:15:34,240 --> 00:15:36,760 Speaker 5: annual revenue. And the only way to really grow that 302 00:15:36,840 --> 00:15:39,480 Speaker 5: revenue in a meaningfulm and significant way was the car. 303 00:15:39,880 --> 00:15:42,640 Speaker 5: So from that standpoint, they need to do some soul 304 00:15:42,680 --> 00:15:45,040 Speaker 5: searching now about what the next big initiative of the 305 00:15:45,040 --> 00:15:47,560 Speaker 5: company's going to be. We know it's no longer the car, 306 00:15:47,800 --> 00:15:49,840 Speaker 5: but what else can add two trillion dollars to your 307 00:15:49,920 --> 00:15:53,400 Speaker 5: underlying market cap? In my view, nothing, But I'm sure 308 00:15:53,440 --> 00:15:55,800 Speaker 5: they'll come up with another direction, and if they don't, 309 00:15:55,880 --> 00:15:57,040 Speaker 5: it's not going to be so pretty. 310 00:16:00,160 --> 00:16:02,560 Speaker 1: No story about in the ev space would be would 311 00:16:02,560 --> 00:16:05,080 Speaker 1: be complete without a little reference to Elon Musk, who 312 00:16:05,080 --> 00:16:08,560 Speaker 1: did send out a post on x on on Twitter. 313 00:16:10,080 --> 00:16:13,720 Speaker 1: I mean sort of not critical, but just an emoji 314 00:16:13,760 --> 00:16:16,440 Speaker 1: that looked as if you know he was looking quite 315 00:16:16,440 --> 00:16:20,120 Speaker 1: pleased about what happened in terms of Apple's failure. But 316 00:16:20,240 --> 00:16:23,320 Speaker 1: even you know, his business has found it quite difficult 317 00:16:23,360 --> 00:16:26,640 Speaker 1: in the electric vehicle space, right It's it took off 318 00:16:26,640 --> 00:16:30,720 Speaker 1: incredibly well, it's had difficulties this year, oh. 319 00:16:30,760 --> 00:16:33,600 Speaker 5: You know, and lost business has had difficulties. But don't forget. 320 00:16:33,880 --> 00:16:36,040 Speaker 5: They're still raking at one hundred billion dollars a year 321 00:16:36,080 --> 00:16:39,080 Speaker 5: on these cars. They're still shipping in products. They've still 322 00:16:39,080 --> 00:16:41,360 Speaker 5: figured out a way to get it done, whereas Apple 323 00:16:41,440 --> 00:16:43,320 Speaker 5: certainly is not figured out would he get it done 324 00:16:43,320 --> 00:16:43,640 Speaker 5: in the car? 325 00:16:43,680 --> 00:16:43,840 Speaker 9: Ser? 326 00:16:45,600 --> 00:16:48,600 Speaker 3: Does this mean this project could never be revived? Could we, 327 00:16:48,720 --> 00:16:51,320 Speaker 3: perhaps under a different leadership team seeing the idea of 328 00:16:51,360 --> 00:16:52,880 Speaker 3: Apple coming back to its car. 329 00:16:54,000 --> 00:16:57,040 Speaker 5: Certainly could he revived. I don't anticipate that happening. More 330 00:16:57,120 --> 00:16:59,600 Speaker 5: likely would be Apple acquiring an existing car maker and 331 00:16:59,640 --> 00:17:03,640 Speaker 5: then put resources around that sort of built around an acquisition, 332 00:17:04,080 --> 00:17:06,200 Speaker 5: rather than go at it alone. I think the ship 333 00:17:06,280 --> 00:17:08,520 Speaker 5: is sailed on the car. They've had too many fits 334 00:17:08,520 --> 00:17:10,840 Speaker 5: and starts, and you can't really put the genie back 335 00:17:10,880 --> 00:17:12,480 Speaker 5: in the ball. 336 00:17:12,520 --> 00:17:14,120 Speaker 2: Why did it not work? Mark? 337 00:17:14,320 --> 00:17:16,800 Speaker 1: I mean, you know that they make so many other 338 00:17:16,840 --> 00:17:20,120 Speaker 1: bits of hardware and you can you get the proposition right, 339 00:17:20,160 --> 00:17:23,320 Speaker 1: the kind of sleek list of an Apple iPhone, but 340 00:17:23,600 --> 00:17:29,400 Speaker 1: car version with driverless you know, capabilities, why couldn't they 341 00:17:29,560 --> 00:17:31,640 Speaker 1: kind of deliver on the actual product. 342 00:17:33,200 --> 00:17:36,840 Speaker 5: There was in fighting amongst executives. Really came down to 343 00:17:36,880 --> 00:17:39,360 Speaker 5: do the inegility to create a car that would term 344 00:17:39,480 --> 00:17:43,040 Speaker 5: and solid the profit. You have concerns that the technology 345 00:17:43,760 --> 00:17:48,320 Speaker 5: would be readily available, You had concerns about certain levels 346 00:17:48,359 --> 00:17:52,240 Speaker 5: of autonomy, You had concerns about safety and testing, and 347 00:17:52,280 --> 00:17:54,440 Speaker 5: you had concerns that you ever actually able to bring 348 00:17:54,480 --> 00:17:56,919 Speaker 5: it to market in the or even the end of 349 00:17:56,920 --> 00:18:00,480 Speaker 5: this decade. So there were issues from to end on 350 00:18:00,560 --> 00:18:01,200 Speaker 5: this project. 351 00:18:02,280 --> 00:18:05,480 Speaker 3: Mark, what's the next big challenge for Apple? The headlines 352 00:18:05,520 --> 00:18:07,760 Speaker 3: of course being dominated by this move. We've also been 353 00:18:07,800 --> 00:18:10,240 Speaker 3: reporting about the meeting with the Department of Justice in 354 00:18:10,240 --> 00:18:13,800 Speaker 3: a bid to avoid an antitrust suit. You know, you know, 355 00:18:13,840 --> 00:18:15,960 Speaker 3: wh Where does Apple go from here? What's going to 356 00:18:15,960 --> 00:18:18,000 Speaker 3: be the next big issue for the company. 357 00:18:19,640 --> 00:18:21,600 Speaker 5: Well, I think they have enough on their plate right 358 00:18:21,640 --> 00:18:24,520 Speaker 5: now between the car and the Department of Justice, the 359 00:18:24,600 --> 00:18:28,520 Speaker 5: tental lawsuit in the United States against Apple, certainly in 360 00:18:28,560 --> 00:18:31,679 Speaker 5: the European Union of the Digital Markets Act coming into 361 00:18:32,600 --> 00:18:35,560 Speaker 5: effect on March seventh. So certainly I think they have 362 00:18:35,600 --> 00:18:37,920 Speaker 5: a lot of other plate right now, and I can't speculate 363 00:18:38,200 --> 00:18:40,600 Speaker 5: what their next issue is, but if I were to, 364 00:18:41,200 --> 00:18:43,959 Speaker 5: you know, you can add China and whatever's. 365 00:18:43,359 --> 00:18:46,399 Speaker 1: Going to happen next for this absolutely, Mark, thank you 366 00:18:46,440 --> 00:18:48,480 Speaker 1: so much for being with us. Great to have you 367 00:18:48,520 --> 00:18:51,960 Speaker 1: on the program and for your reporting breaking this huge 368 00:18:52,000 --> 00:18:56,359 Speaker 1: important story around the abandoning of this decade long effort 369 00:18:56,440 --> 00:18:59,760 Speaker 1: by Apple to try to build an electric vehicle. As 370 00:19:00,119 --> 00:19:02,840 Speaker 1: Mark was describing, not exactly sure what's going to happen 371 00:19:02,920 --> 00:19:06,800 Speaker 1: with the two thousand staff. Yes, some will be redeployed 372 00:19:06,800 --> 00:19:09,840 Speaker 1: into AI, but as Mark was sort of saying, you 373 00:19:09,880 --> 00:19:13,399 Speaker 1: know that that's more necessity really than strategy, and that 374 00:19:13,520 --> 00:19:17,000 Speaker 1: it definitely is a defeat for them in a new market, 375 00:19:17,080 --> 00:19:18,919 Speaker 1: something that would have been a new market for Apple 376 00:19:18,920 --> 00:19:21,720 Speaker 1: if they'd managed to get an EV car to market. 377 00:19:21,880 --> 00:19:24,320 Speaker 3: Yeah, thank you to our chief correspondent Marc Gumman bringing 378 00:19:24,320 --> 00:19:26,600 Speaker 3: his details of his exclusive reporting. 379 00:19:26,680 --> 00:19:26,840 Speaker 1: Now. 380 00:19:26,920 --> 00:19:29,680 Speaker 3: Central bankers around the world have traditionally been scrupulous about 381 00:19:29,680 --> 00:19:32,760 Speaker 3: insisting on their independence from politics, but the rise of 382 00:19:32,880 --> 00:19:35,720 Speaker 3: anti democratic groups and populists around the world has spurred 383 00:19:35,840 --> 00:19:39,120 Speaker 3: European policy makers in particular, to step into the fray. 384 00:19:39,119 --> 00:19:41,800 Speaker 3: Our managing editor for European Economy and Government, Ben Sales, 385 00:19:41,840 --> 00:19:45,200 Speaker 3: joins us now for more on this story. Morning to you, Ben. 386 00:19:45,320 --> 00:19:47,720 Speaker 3: What is going on? What are these policymakers up to. 387 00:19:48,040 --> 00:19:53,320 Speaker 9: Well, we've seen a series of interventions both from Christine Lagard, 388 00:19:53,440 --> 00:19:56,520 Speaker 9: the president of the ECB, and senior officials from the 389 00:19:56,560 --> 00:20:02,520 Speaker 9: Bundesbank in Germany and make really quite ordinarily political statements. 390 00:20:02,520 --> 00:20:05,920 Speaker 9: We had Regard speaking at the Bloomberg House in Davos 391 00:20:06,280 --> 00:20:10,159 Speaker 9: who said that, you know, Donald Trump is effectively a 392 00:20:10,280 --> 00:20:13,600 Speaker 9: danger to the European economy and one which the Europeans 393 00:20:13,600 --> 00:20:16,879 Speaker 9: should prepare for by kind of essentially going going on 394 00:20:16,920 --> 00:20:21,480 Speaker 9: the offensive. We had a senior Bundesbank executive actually appear 395 00:20:21,800 --> 00:20:26,840 Speaker 9: at and speak at a anti fascist rally in Frankfurt 396 00:20:26,920 --> 00:20:30,240 Speaker 9: earlier this month, where she essentially came out and said 397 00:20:30,240 --> 00:20:35,080 Speaker 9: the the AfD, which is rising in the polls in Germany, 398 00:20:35,320 --> 00:20:37,720 Speaker 9: is a threat, is a threat to Germany, a threat 399 00:20:37,720 --> 00:20:40,399 Speaker 9: to the economy. And this is really quite extraordinary for 400 00:20:40,440 --> 00:20:42,720 Speaker 9: central bankers who, you know, as you as you rightly said, 401 00:20:42,880 --> 00:20:46,960 Speaker 9: have been extremely wary of getting anywhere close to politics 402 00:20:47,040 --> 00:20:48,160 Speaker 9: until recently. 403 00:20:48,640 --> 00:20:52,000 Speaker 1: So it's really unusual. I suppose why is it happening now? 404 00:20:52,160 --> 00:20:54,360 Speaker 1: It does seem to be that these central bankers are 405 00:20:55,160 --> 00:20:57,560 Speaker 1: you know, they're trying to make it normal. The idea 406 00:20:57,640 --> 00:21:02,040 Speaker 1: of you know, defending common values democracy. Is that the 407 00:21:02,119 --> 00:21:03,840 Speaker 1: sort of thrust of what they're saying. 408 00:21:04,560 --> 00:21:07,359 Speaker 9: Yeah, I think so the Bunder's Bank. We asked the 409 00:21:07,400 --> 00:21:11,119 Speaker 9: bunders Bank what they're thinking was, and they said that 410 00:21:11,680 --> 00:21:15,679 Speaker 9: they thought that it was entirely justified for them to 411 00:21:15,720 --> 00:21:20,760 Speaker 9: speak out against what they called anti democratic forces. It's 412 00:21:20,800 --> 00:21:23,520 Speaker 9: not quite that simple, ow is it? Because the AfD 413 00:21:23,960 --> 00:21:29,199 Speaker 9: might have some some policy positions which are objectionable to 414 00:21:29,240 --> 00:21:32,040 Speaker 9: some people, and you know, I would obviously their their 415 00:21:32,080 --> 00:21:37,600 Speaker 9: plans for expelling large numbers of migrants is something that 416 00:21:37,640 --> 00:21:40,760 Speaker 9: lots of people would oppose, and their plans for tearing 417 00:21:40,800 --> 00:21:45,119 Speaker 9: down windmills is pretty it's pretty foolish, to be frank. 418 00:21:45,600 --> 00:21:48,600 Speaker 9: But they also have a lot of support from voters. 419 00:21:48,640 --> 00:21:52,480 Speaker 9: And if voters decide that they want to see hundreds 420 00:21:52,480 --> 00:21:55,359 Speaker 9: of thousands of migrants expelled from Germany, it might be 421 00:21:55,440 --> 00:21:58,840 Speaker 9: an objectionable position, but I don't think that's necessarily anti democratic. 422 00:22:00,000 --> 00:22:02,600 Speaker 3: This is Bloomberg Daybreak Europe, your morning brief on the 423 00:22:02,640 --> 00:22:05,720 Speaker 3: stories making news from London to Wall Street and beyond. 424 00:22:05,960 --> 00:22:09,960 Speaker 1: Look for us on your podcast feed every morning, on Apple, Spotify, 425 00:22:10,040 --> 00:22:12,000 Speaker 1: and anywhere else you get your podcasts. 426 00:22:12,040 --> 00:22:15,080 Speaker 3: You can also listen live each morning on London Dab Radio, 427 00:22:15,119 --> 00:22:17,800 Speaker 3: the Bloomberg Business app, and Bloomberg dot Com. 428 00:22:17,840 --> 00:22:20,600 Speaker 1: Our flagship New York station, is also available on your 429 00:22:20,640 --> 00:22:25,359 Speaker 1: Amazon Alexa devices. Just say Alexa Play Bloomberg eleven thirty. 430 00:22:25,600 --> 00:22:26,880 Speaker 2: I'm Caroline Hepka and. 431 00:22:26,840 --> 00:22:29,480 Speaker 3: I'm Stephen Carroll. Join us again tomorrow morning for all 432 00:22:29,520 --> 00:22:31,960 Speaker 3: the news you need to start your day right here 433 00:22:32,000 --> 00:22:35,520 Speaker 3: on Bloomberg Daybreak Europe