As the year draws to a close, dealmakers across Wall Street, Canary Wharf, and Hong Kong are doing what they do best: working through the holidays. December alone has already seen $463.6 billion in announced M&A, up 30% year-on-year, capped by a fierce bidding war between Paramount Skydance and Netflix for Warner Bros Discovery. This...
In a dramatic escalation of Hollywood’s biggest deal battle, Larry Ellison has offered a personal guarantee of $40.4 billion to reinforce Paramount Skydance’s bid for Warner Bros Discovery. The move is aimed squarely at addressing Warner Bros’ concerns over financing certainty—concerns that previously tilted the board toward the rival Netflix cash-and-stock offer. Key changes in...
Netflix has refinanced part of its $59 billion bridge loan tied to its proposed acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery’s film, TV studio, and streaming assets—one of the largest media transactions ever contemplated. Key highlights: The refinancing improves funding certainty and reduces execution risk as Netflix prepares to acquire premium assets including HBO and HBO Max,...
Hedge funds net sold U.S. healthcare stocks last week for the first time in 14 weeks, according to Goldman Sachs, as political uncertainty around expiring insurance subsidies intensifies. Key signals from the market: The catalyst:Enhanced health insurance subsidies — expanded during COVID — expire on December 31 unless Congress acts, potentially raising costs for millions...
SoftBank is racing to fulfill a $22.5 billion funding commitment to OpenAI by year-end — one of the largest single AI investments ever — underscoring both the conviction and the financial strain behind the global AI arms race. To raise the capital, SoftBank Group has already: At the center of this push is Masayoshi Son’s...
Michael Saylor’s Strategy and other bitcoin-buying corporates could soon face exclusion from major equity indexes, starting with MSCI. MSCI has proposed removing companies whose digital assets exceed 50% of total assets, arguing they resemble investment funds rather than operating businesses. A final decision is due January 15. Why this matters: Supporters say DAT firms are...