FT Collections Data rich: the numbers behind corporate news From coronavirus to accountancy changes, the best of companies’ data visualisation stories High-priced VC tech deals raise overheating fearsFew venture capitalists are willing to pass on a hot deal, even if it looks expensiveHotels fear hard winter without the business travellerSummer bookings surged in leisure locations but city sites continue to struggleAmazon ‘roll-up’ businesses raise billions in fight for ascendancyEcommerce aggregators swoop for independent merchants even as online shopping slows How changing climate and tastes made red wine strongerRipe and robust vintages have become the norm but there are signs of pushback Banks close to business as usual in US and Europe despite pandemic effectsInvestment banking revenues surge while lenders reduce capital set aside for defaultsUS earnings deliver lots of sparkle but no popCompanies are beating expectations in record numbers but stellar results have not translated into big share price gains More from this SeriesRansomware attacks rise despite US call for clampdown on cybercriminalsKnown attacks have quadrupled in the pandemic but lax disclosure rules mean true figure may be far worseWimbledon wild card success does not disguise financial challengeSmall prize pots for lower-ranked players mean tennis hopefuls struggle to get a breakCredit card lenders battle for borrowers as economy reboundsUS banks try to reverse months of falling balances with new offers and rewardsFive companies make quarter of world’s single use plasticsExxonMobil, Sinopec and Dow tops list of polymers producersUsed car prices take upward turn as demand outstrips supply Covid fears mean commuters are avoiding public transport and heading to dealers’ forecourts Deep pockets help English clubs get a purchase on Champions LeagueFinalists Manchester City and Chelsea have maintained high spending levels despite the pandemicSoaring markets boost asset managers’ fortunesActive funds receive welcome reprieve against industry challenges as stock indices head skywardPrivate oil companies fall short on cutting flaringUnwanted gas burnt at six times level of intensity than publicly listed groups How Manchester United’s owners scored an own goalSponsorship deals and money spent on new signings fail to disguise the millions taken out of club Shine comes off the streaming dream as Netflix subscriptions slow Incumbent facing fiercer competition after pandemic boost with spending on content critical The new North Sea players riding the wake of the retreating majors Private companies’ share of UK oil and gas production nears a third as unwanted assets continue to attract Hotel agony creates opportunity for short-stay rentalsPandemic hastens transition to private lodgings as leisure travellers avoid busy lobbies Greece and Turkey top Europe destinations for UK holidaymakersSunseekers plan trips to countries making efforts to be open for visitorsChip crisis highlights supply chain new order as carmakers lose out Auto groups must adapt or play second fiddle to Silicon Valley giants in battle for semiconductor suppliesAirlines struggle to take off in face of $300bn debt headwindsRecovery may take years as industry grapples with rescue finance and state loan billsBattle over food delivery intensifies as Deliveroo prepares listingLockdown creates perfect recipe for food ordering apps but some will be left behindPandemic shift to premium brands leaves drinks makers in high spirits Savings on travel and leisure enable housebound consumers to upgrade to high-end bottles Retail investors pay the cost of investing in the devil’s metal Why the workings of the silver market and its history were stacked against the Reddit tradersHow BHP became the UK’s biggest listed company Pandemic effect helps Anglo-Australian miner leapfrog Shell and Unilever in market value ESG funds defy havoc to ratchet huge inflowsPandemic has increased focus on sustainable investing but surge has also brought a rise in greenwashingElectric cars surge in popularity after manufacturers’ late dashEuropean state incentives and emissions regulation drive adoption but meeting new targets will be tougherPandemic price rises still rampant on Amazon, research findsSustained increases found on platform include a 300 per cent jump for a patio heaterResidential rents plummet in major UK cities Shifting demographics, working patterns and the changing financial status of many residents hits pricesUS mortgage executives forecast a $3tn year in 2021Lending rates are expected to fall as competition for borrowers heats upPatience pays off for US start-ups that stayed privateWait is over for venture-backed companies as rewards of going public become too enticingHow exchange operators have grown bigger and biggerA handful of groups are pushing beyond operating exchanges into financial data and analyticsEnglish football clubs welcome back spectators but cheers are mutedLower league teams threatened by a north-south divide created by UK government’s tier systemAmericans prepare for a holiday shopping season like no other Pandemic has left some ready to spend more even as many face a financial crunch Boeing’s Max jet set to return just as customers head for exit Growing number of parked ‘white tail’ aircraft adds to pain for US manufacturerStocks gain as US closes in on election result Tech shares outperform with prospect of policy gridlock lowering chances of sweeping regulatory change Banks stay bullish despite worsening pandemicThird-quarter earnings results have left many executives lobbying for dividends to restartCarmakers breathe easier after emissions targets dashGenerous subsidies for electric vehicles help Europe’s laggards reach the finish lineGlut of Spac issuance makes hunt for deals more competitiveRecord amount of blank cheque IPOs creates challenging environment to find quality acquisitionsUS airlines make leisure passengers the new priority classCarriers revamp networks and discount fares to entice the ‘forgotten’ holiday travellerLockdown measures drive used car prices to record growthAdvice to avoid using public transport during pandemic boosts salesIs it game over for the console?Subscription model entices tech firms to spend big money on cloud gaming platformsWhy telecoms groups have fallen out of fashion with investorsHigh debt and unwieldy corporate structures plague valuations of European groups but owners see an opportunityTech start-ups trim headcount before raising new fundsFinancial Times analysis shows many valuations were higher soon after cutting or furloughing staffCelebrities compete to bottle success with premium beveragesHollywood actors and A-list stars battle for shot at developing next big drinks brandAirline analysts warn ‘the hardest part’ is yet to comeUncertainty is jarring to an industry that thrives on predicting demand with mathematical precisionPandemic triggers wave of billion-dollar US bankruptcies Record 45 large companies file for Chapter 11 despite trillions in government aidA nation of shopkeepers shaken by the shift onlinePandemic increases challenges UK’s retailers were facing by rapid growth of ecommerce Oil industry reels from historic crashFour charts shine light on once-mighty sector now under siege Big tech presents a problem for investors as well as Congress Strong earnings and rocketing stock market performance has created risk for shareholdersTikTok’s rampant growth strikes wrong note with USChinese social media apps risk losing US presence as geopolitical tensions escalate US airlines fly in different directions in middle-seat debateCarriers diverge on whether to maintain social distancing and run aircraft at partial capacity UK housebuyers look to swap cities for suburbsCommuter belts and coastal towns in high demand as lockdown lifts and sales resumeBookmakers hail return of sports fixtures across Europe Gambling revenues estimated to have fallen up to 60% since lockdowns were imposed in MarchPandemic sparks surge in equity fundraisingsCompanies tap markets for cash in hunt for cheap assets or to shore up balance sheetsBoom to bust in the US shale heartlandsFive charts that highlight the recent seizing up of the US oil sectorEuropean football clubs’ route to easy borrowing under threatRevenue hit from pandemic risks cutting access to ‘factoring’ dealsOne-fifth of FTSE 100 companies tap government wage schemeOnly five of the UK’s largest listed businesses have made permanent job cutsUS on track for worst corporate quarter since financial crisisLockdown impact weighs on company earnings but stock markets look for optimismTennis takes a swing at making players’ earnings fairerThe new chair of the association that runs men’s tennis wants to share out wealth more evenlyLockdown lifestyle: changing internet habits during the pandemic Local news sites are experiencing a resurgence and streaming is more popular than everUS banks brace for surge in loan lossesLenders are increasing reserves in anticipation of a wave of defaults during the pandemicRace to find treatment using re-engineered medicinesTrials start using drugs designed for other conditions to help combat Covid-19Europe’s banks face a test of resilienceSince their peak almost a month ago, European banks indices have plunged 40 per centBig not always better for private equity megadealsLargest takeovers do not always generate the biggest returnsBig Four accountants facing changing timesLong-held relationships between auditors and companies on the rocksHollywood ‘sequelitis’ and why pay-TV follows a different scriptDecades-long trend of film sequels is not abating, but the big studios may be willing to chase some of their smaller rivalsExchange operators cut dependence on legacy trading businessRival bids offer two visions for LSE as insatiable demand provides bourses with promise for future Boeing suppliers expose impact of the Max crisisUncertainty over the return of the 737 Max leaves suppliers’ earnings forecasts unclearCompanies pin hopes on meat-free cash cowsFood businesses step up pursuit of alternative proteins to win over consumersA year in which the IPO market sobered upDisappointment for high-profile listings comes even as US stocks hit recordUefa’s ban on Man City does not change football’s inequalityFinancial fair play has capped clubs’ spend but it has not led to level playing fieldMusic titans tune into rising valuationsProspective listings from Warner and Universal arms will indicate industry’s worth
