Morocco Strategic Minerals Announces Upsize to Private Placement
Morocco Strategic Minerals Corp. (TSXV:MCC) announced an upsized non‑brokered private placement, increasing its target gross proceeds from $5 million to $7.5 million. The offering now comprises up to 50 million units at $0.15 each, each unit containing one common share and half of a warrant. Warrants grant the right to purchase additional shares at $0.25 for 24 months after closing. Net proceeds will fund the acquisition and development of mining assets in Morocco and support general corporate working capital.
Debt Flooded NYC’s Development Pipeline in March
In March, lenders pumped over $2 billion into New York’s development pipeline, backing projects from a Brooklyn residential megaproject to Midtown office towers. Two Trees received a $460 million construction loan for the Domino Sugar site, while Wells Fargo originated a $450 million CMBS...
HawkEye 360 Files to Go Public, Reports $99M in Revenue in 2025
HawkEye 360 announced an IPO that could raise up to $416 million by selling 16 million shares at $24‑$26 each. The RF‑sensing firm reported $98.7 million in 2025 revenue—nearly double the prior year—and posted its first net profit of $2.7 million. U.S. government contracts...
Paramount Asks FCC to Sign Off on Middle East Investment in Warner Bros. Megadeal
Paramount has filed a petition with the FCC to clear a $24 billion equity infusion from three Middle‑East sovereign wealth funds that will help finance its $111 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery. The foreign investors will own roughly 38.5% of non‑voting equity,...
SoFi Raises $688.5 Million From Consumer ABS
SoFi has launched a $688.5 million consumer asset‑backed securities (ABS) program, SCLP 2026‑2, backed by a pool of near‑prime unsecured loans. The transaction is underwritten by BofA Securities and consists of four fixed‑rate note classes, with Class A AAA‑rated notes accounting for $515.9 million....
Faraday Future Lands $45 Million in Funding
Faraday Future Intelligent Electric Inc. announced a $45 million financing round with an unnamed U.S. institutional investor. The deal delivers $15 million upfront and places the remaining $30 million in a controlled deposit, to be released in installments upon meeting specific milestones. The...
LABJ Insider: Shareholders Hand Ellison Another Win
Larry Ellison's son, David Ellison, secured board approval for Warner Bros. Discovery's $110 billion merger with Paramount Skydance, moving the deal toward a year‑end close. The transaction will place CNN under Ellison's expanding media empire, while Netflix's competing bid fell through,...
Hormel, LSI Whole Bird Business Transaction Completed
Hormel Foods Corp. completed the sale of its whole bird business to LSI Foods for roughly $1.2 billion in cash. The deal transfers Hormel's turkey, chicken and related processing assets across the United States to LSI, creating one of the nation’s...
FCA Publishes Consultation in Relation to Changes to Information Flows for UK Equity IPOs
On 27 April the FCA released consultation paper CP26/14 proposing key changes to UK equity IPO information flows. The draft seeks to remove the 7‑day cooling‑off period for connected research, require syndicate banks to share the same research data with unconnected...
Vinted Is Already Worth 8 Billion Euros
Vinted secured an €880 million ($960 million) funding round, lifting its valuation to €8 billion (about $8.7 billion). The Lithuanian‑based second‑hand marketplace reported a 38% revenue jump to €1.1 billion ($1.2 billion) in 2025 and a GMV of €10.8 billion ($11.8 billion). Net profit reached €62 million ($68 million), and...
Gold-Copper Explorer Meridian Plans London Listing
Meridian Mining, a TSX‑listed gold‑copper explorer, announced a dual listing on the London Stock Exchange with shares to trade under ticker MNO starting Friday. The offering includes a £25 million (≈$33.8 million) institutional placement and a £2.5 million retail tranche, boosting total cash...
Lilly to Buy Startup Ajax in Bid for a Better JAK Drug
Eli Lilly announced it will acquire New York‑based biotech Ajax Therapeutics for up to $2.3 billion. The deal centers on Ajax’s experimental JAK inhibitor AJ1‑11095, which binds an inactive JAK2 conformation to overcome resistance seen with existing therapies for myelofibrosis and...
London Named Share Buyback Capital of the World
The United Kingdom has emerged as the world’s leading share‑buyback market, with nearly 60% of large‑cap firms repurchasing stock over the past year. A steep valuation gap—FTSE 100 trading at 13.1 times forward earnings, roughly a 37% discount to the S&P 500—has driven...
BMO Capital Markets Leads M&A Financial Advice in Mining for Q1 2026
BMO Capital Markets emerged as the leading adviser for metals and mining mergers and acquisitions in the first quarter of 2026, topping both deal value and volume. The bank advised on five transactions that together amounted to $8.7 bn, propelling it...
Aerospace and Defense M&A Activity: Strategic Positioning Amid Robust Growth
M&A activity in aerospace and defense reached record levels in 2025, with 532 announced transactions and $42.7 bn in aggregate value. Europe emerged as a growth engine, posting a 320% jump to $8.7 bn, while North America still held the largest share...
It’s Time to Bring the Catastrophe Bond Onshore: John Seo
John Seo, co‑founder of Fermat Capital Management, called for U.S. onshore issuance of catastrophe bonds, arguing that domestic options would unlock the market’s full potential. He said the shift would require congressional action to create a tax‑friendly framework. Seo highlighted...
Scale It Forward: A New Initiative Targets Egypt’s Venture Debt Gap for Scaleups
GIZ Egypt and enpact have launched the Scale It Forward programme to introduce venture‑debt financing for Egyptian scale‑ups. Five financial institutions will pilot debt products, each receiving a curated pipeline of startups and capacity support, while 30 scale‑ups get training...
Critical Metals to Acquire European Lithium
Critical Metals Corp. announced a letter of intent to acquire all outstanding shares of European Lithium Ltd. for an aggregate consideration of roughly $835 million, using an exchange ratio of 0.035 Critical Metals shares per European Lithium share. The deal would...
Eli Lilly to Acquire Ajax Therapeutics for ~$2.3B
Eli Lilly has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Ajax Therapeutics for roughly $2.3 billion in cash, covering an upfront payment and future clinical and regulatory milestones. Ajax’s lead candidate, AJ1‑11095, is a Type II JAK2 inhibitor currently in a Phase‑I trial (AJX‑101)...
Sereact Taps Headline to Lead $110m Series B, Plots US Expansion
Stuttgart‑based robotics firm Sereact announced a $110 million Series B round led by Headline, with participation from Bullhound Capital, Felix Capital and Daphni. The funding brings total capital raised to over $140 million and will finance the development of Cortex 2, an upgraded vision‑language‑action...
Thermo Fisher Scientific to Sell Microbiology Business to Astorg for $1.075bn
Thermo Fisher Scientific announced the sale of its microbiology business to private‑equity firm Astorg for $1.075 billion. The divestiture aligns with Thermo Fisher's strategy to sharpen focus on its core life‑science platforms and accelerate growth in high‑margin segments. Astorg will acquire...
Northeast Universities Find Bond Investors Amid Rocky Sector Trends
Northeast universities are tapping the municipal bond market despite a volatile April environment. The University of Massachusetts priced a $560 million refunding deal with yields from 2.5% to 3.8%, Quinnipiac issued $180 million of revenue bonds, and Adelphi raised $106 million, albeit after...
World Bank Launches $120 Million Ecosystem Restoration Bond Backed by Amazon Carbon Removal Deal
The World Bank raised $120 million through a new Spekboom Restoration Outcome Bond, the institution’s longest‑dated outcome bond maturing in 2040. The bond combines principal protection, a fixed coupon and extra returns tied to carbon credit sales under an Amazon offtake...
United CEO Confirms Reaching Out to AA About Potential Merger
United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said he reached out to American Airlines to explore a merger that would create a larger, customer‑focused carrier. He argued the combination would drive growth, unlock new opportunities, and likely gain regulatory approval, contrasting it...
Porsche to Exit Bugatti Rimac Stake in Sale to HOF-Led Consortium
Porsche announced it will divest its 45% stake in the Bugatti Rimac joint venture, selling to a consortium led by HOF Capital. The transaction, expected to close later in 2024, has no disclosed price but is positioned to free up capital...
Spacetech Investor Seraphim Space Targets £350M Raise
Seraphim Space, a London‑listed spacetech investment trust, announced a plan to raise up to £350 million (approximately $445 million) by issuing new shares. The capital will fund investments in its existing portfolio of 45 spacetech companies—including nine unicorns—and new startups emerging from...
Amundi to Manage New €3 Billion EU-Backed Green Bond Blended Finance Fund
Amundi has been selected to manage the EU‑backed Global Green Bond Initiative (GGBI) Fund, a blended‑finance vehicle targeting up to €3 billion ($3.24 billion). The fund will combine roughly €1 billion ($1.08 billion) of equity from multilateral development banks with a goal of crowding...
China Blocked Meta’s Manus Deal. That Changes What AI Companies Are Worth
Meta’s planned $2 bn purchase of AI‑agent startup Manus was halted by China’s National Development and Reform Commission, which barred foreign investment and ordered the deal cancelled. The block highlights a new valuation variable for AI firms: political ownership risk, where...
The World’s Largest EV Battery Maker Is Raising $5 Billion in Hong Kong
China's CATL, the world’s largest EV battery maker, is launching a Hong Kong follow‑on to raise up to $5 billion, the biggest share sale in the market in about four years. The company’s Hong Kong shares have surged 160% since the May 2025 secondary...
Cayman Considers Catastrophe Bond, More Parametric Insurance to Expand Hurricane Protection
The Cayman Islands government is weighing a new catastrophe bond and expanded parametric insurance to strengthen hurricane protection as the 2026 season nears. Finance Minister Rolston Anglin said the review reflects higher exposure from population growth and increased assets. Options...
Seraphim Space Targets £350m Raise to Accelerate the Space Boom
Seraphin Space Investment Trust (SSIT) is launching a C‑share offering to raise up to £350 million (about $447 million). The proceeds will back companies emerging from its accelerator and venture fund while pursuing fresh growth opportunities. Recent stabilisation of private‑market valuations, a...
FCA Market Soundings Review Puts Pre-Deal Controls Under Scrutiny
The FCA’s multi‑firm review examined 63 UK equity capital‑market transactions from January 2023 to June 2025, including fifty accelerated book‑builds (ABBs) worth roughly £32 billion (≈ $40.6 billion). About 90% of the deals employed market soundings, confirming the practice as a standard pre‑announcement tool. The...
Standard Life Targets First CLO Deal Amid Structured Credit Push
Standard Life, the UK‑based insurer, is actively courting collateralised loan obligation (CLO) managers as it prepares to launch its first CLO investment. The move is part of a broader push into structured credit and private‑debt assets, complementing its existing fund‑finance...
CATL Seeks $5 Billion in Largest HK Share Sale of 2026
Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd. (CATL) is planning a Hong Kong share placement to raise about $5 billion, the largest offering in the city so far this year. The company will price the new shares between HK$628.20 and HK$651.80, equivalent to $80.16‑$83.00,...
Vinted Confirms BlackRock Investment as It Completes €880 Million Secondary Share Deal
Vinted completed an €880 million (~$950 million) secondary share transaction that values the second‑hand marketplace at €8 billion (~$8.6 billion). The oversubscribed deal was led by existing backer EQT and introduced new investors BlackRock and Teachers’ Venture Growth, without raising fresh primary capital. Vinted...
European and UK PE Exit Activity Slows in Q1, but Deal Pipeline Builds for Potential Rebound
European and UK private equity exit activity slowed in Q1 2026, with exits falling to 244 deals worth $32.3bn, down from 278 deals and $58.9bn the previous quarter. UK exit count dropped to 46, though deal value modestly rose to...
Listed Private Credit Funds Attract Buyers as Discounts Narrow
Publicly traded private credit vehicles, especially business development companies (BDCs), are regaining investor interest as valuations rebound from recent lows. After a March slump driven by software‑lending exposure and $15 billion of redemptions from private funds, price‑to‑book multiples have risen 2.4%...
Denso Withdraws Rohm Bid as Three-Way Merger Takes Hold
Denso Corp is likely to withdraw its February bid to acquire Japanese chipmaker Rohm after Rohm’s board rejected the offer. Rohm instead favours a three‑way merger with Toshiba and Mitsubishi Electric to combine their power‑semiconductor businesses. The proposed tie‑up would...
China Blocks Meta’s $2 Billion Acquisition of AI Firm Manus
China’s National Development and Reform Commission has ordered the cancellation of Meta Platforms’ $2 billion acquisition of AI startup Manus. The state planner issued a terse notice prohibiting foreign investment in the firm, citing existing laws and regulations. The move reverses...
WFP Progresses Food Security Catastrophe Bond Plan, to Mobilise $100m for Drought Resilience
The United Nations World Food Programme is advancing a pioneering food‑security catastrophe bond that could raise up to $100 million to fund drought resilience across Sub‑Saharan Africa. Backed by the World Bank and €1.5 million (≈$1.6 million) from Luxembourg, the bond would make...
Two Hot Climate Tech Startups Just Raised $1 Billion+ in IPOs
Public markets are showing newfound appetite for climate‑tech firms, highlighted by X-energy's $1 billion IPO that surged 25% in its first trading hour. The nuclear startup counts tech giants Amazon and Google among its early backers. Meanwhile, geothermal pioneer Fervo filed...
China’s Sovereign Debt to Debut in SE Asia’s Largest Economy
China and Indonesia have signed a reciprocal sovereign bond agreement allowing China to issue yuan‑denominated bonds in Indonesia’s domestic market and Indonesia to sell rupiah‑denominated bonds in China. The deal marks the first institutionalized opening between two of Asia’s largest...
Austria’s Noreja Closes €1.1 Million Round to Scale AI-Powered Process Intelligence Platform
Austrian startup Noreja closed a €1.1 million (≈$1.2 M) funding round to accelerate growth of its AI‑powered process intelligence platform. The round attracted existing backers and new investors, including advisor Gordana McNamara, who will serve as fractional CCO. Noreja’s solution combines knowledge‑graph technology...
Louisiana Citizens Targets Slightly Lower Pricing for $150m Bayou Re 2026-1 Cat Bond
Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance Corporation is pursuing a $150 million named‑storm reinsurance program through the Bayou Re Ltd. Series 2026‑1 catastrophe bond, its twelfth such sponsorship. The insurer’s target amount remains unchanged, but price guidance for the Class A tranche has been nudged...
Unloved Versigent Is a Hidden Gem – Should You Invest?
Aptiv spun off its electrical distribution business as Versigent (VGNT) in April, debuting below the $31 target at under $28 per share. Despite the muted IPO, the company posted 2025 revenue of $8.8 billion, net income of $528 million and adjusted EBITDA...
Sun Pharma to Acquire Organon for ~$11.75B
Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. announced a definitive agreement to acquire Organon Holding Inc. for $14 per share in an all‑cash transaction, valuing the deal at approximately $11.75 billion. The acquisition will bolster Sun’s innovative medicines portfolio and give it a foothold...
Frankfurt’s QuoIntelligence Closes €7.3 Million Series A to Scale EU-Compliant Threat Intelligence
Frankfurt‑based QuoIntelligence closed a €7.3 million (≈$8 million) Series A round to accelerate its Unified Risk Intelligence platform across Europe. Led by Elevator Ventures and co‑led by BMH, the financing will fund go‑to‑market expansion, product development and team growth. The startup blends an...
How Trump Pushed Aleph Alpha and Cohere Together
German AI startup Aleph Alpha announced a merger with Canadian rival Cohere, creating a combined entity valued at $20 billion. The deal brings together Aleph Alpha's strong foothold in European multilingual language models and Cohere's enterprise‑focused large language model platform. Both...
Kissht Files RHP to Launch Rs 926 IPO; Sets Price Band at Rs 162-171
Digital‑lending platform Kissht filed its RHP with SEBI and will launch a Rs 926 crore (≈$100 million) IPO on April 30, pricing shares at Rs 162‑171 ($2.20‑$2.30). The issue values the company at about Rs 3,062 crore (≈$329 million) post‑money, with the fresh‑issue size trimmed to Rs 850 crore (≈$92 million)...
Loyal Metals Agrees to A$79.11M All-Cash Acquisition by Bumi Resources
Loyal Metals Ltd has agreed to be bought by Indonesia's PT Bumi Resources for an all‑cash A$79.11 million (~US$52 million) price of A$0.45 per share, a 40.6% premium to its last close. The deal, structured as a court‑approved Scheme of Arrangement, requires...