Standard Life Merger with Aegon UK Is ‘Good News for Bigger GPs’
Standard Life and Aegon UK announced a merger that will create a life‑and‑pensions powerhouse with roughly £480 billion of assets, equivalent to about $610 billion. The combined entity will rank among the largest European pension managers, reflecting a broader wave of consolidation across both limited partners and asset managers. By pooling resources, the new group aims to enhance product offerings, technology platforms, and cost efficiencies. The deal underscores the strategic push toward scale in a fragmented market.
Revolut Targets $200bn Valuation for IPO
Revolut is aiming for a valuation between $150 bn and $200 bn when it eventually lists, according to the Financial Times. The fintech’s most recent private round in November pegged the company at $75 bn, up from $45 bn a year earlier. CEO Nik...
Press Release: EU to Relax Merger Rules in Bid to Create ‘European Champions’
The European Commission is drafting the most significant relaxation of its merger control rules in decades, aiming to give greater weight to innovation, investment and internal‑market resilience. The new guidelines would make it easier for large cross‑border deals, especially in...
Jersey Mike’s, Red Lobster, and the Top 500 Restaurant Chains
Jersey Mike’s has confidentially filed for an IPO, eyeing a roughly $12 billion valuation after Blackstone’s $8 billion buyout two years ago. The sandwich chain posted $4.2 billion in U.S. sales last year and expanded by 300 units to about 3,300 locations domestically,...
UBS Set for Long-Awaited Clarity on Switzerland’s Capital Rules
Switzerland’s Federal Council will soon issue an executive order stripping software and deferred‑tax assets from UBS’s regulatory capital, a move that could shave roughly $11 billion off its CET1 metric. At the same time, a draft law would require the bank’s...
HIG Seeks Bids for Capstone Logistics, Sources Say; Roofing Deals Draw Angeles Partners, Sumeru, Osceola and Huron
HIG Capital has launched a sale process for its logistics subsidiary, Capstone Logistics, and will collect first‑round bids by early May. Capstone, a third‑party logistics provider with roughly $300 million in annual revenue, is being positioned at an estimated $1.2 billion valuation....
A Small Business CFO’s 10-Point Checklist Before Selling the Company
A seasoned CFO outlines a 10‑point checklist to ready a small private company for sale, emphasizing disciplined financial reporting, balance‑sheet cleanup, and accelerated close processes. The guide stresses strengthening internal controls, organizing legal documents, and rationalizing entity structures to smooth...
Trump Opposes United-American Airlines Merger
President Donald Trump publicly opposed a potential merger between United Airlines and American Airlines, while urging the federal government to help find a buyer for financially distressed Spirit Airlines. Spirit, which has filed Chapter 11 twice, threatens about 14,000 jobs and...
EXEC: Apparel, Footwear and Accessories M&A Retracted DD in 2025 Due to Tariff Impact
M&A activity in the Apparel, Footwear & Accessories sector fell 13.6% in 2025, dropping to 152 deals – the first year‑over‑year decline since 2022. The slowdown was driven by lingering tariff uncertainty, especially on China and Southeast Asia, which caused...
Standard Life Sees Growing Demand for International Bond Amid Tax Changes
Standard Life reports a surge in demand for its UK International Bond as 2025 tax reforms—particularly changes to capital gains tax and inheritance tax—prompt advisers to recommend tax‑efficient solutions to a broader client base. The insurer expects the strongest growth...
Korean Charging Provider Chaevi Goes Public
South Korean EV charging firm Chaevi is launching a KOSDAQ IPO on April 29, targeting roughly €64 million (about $70 million) in new capital. The Daegu‑based company runs about 6,000 owned and 10,000 total DC fast chargers, and it manufactures and installs its...
Family Trusts Cannot Sponsor Mutual Funds, Clarifies SEBI
India's securities regulator SEBI clarified that only body corporates, not family trusts, can act as sponsors of mutual funds. The guidance, issued in response to First Water Capital Advisory LLP, reaffirms the existing rule that a sponsor must be a...
Wasabi Gets Quarter Billion Credit Facility
Wasabi announced a $250 million credit facility, led by Bain Capital’s Private Credit Group, following a $70 million equity raise for AI‑focused cloud funding in January. The debt will fund expense spending such as infrastructure and operational costs, while the earlier equity...
How Local Banks Power Lower Mid Market M&A
Local community banks continue to dominate financing for lower‑mid‑market M&A deals under $100 million, offering stability and predictable terms that private‑credit funds often lack. Typical senior leverage sits between 2.5x and 3.5x, with covenants tied to forward cash flow and closing...
US Casino Operator Eyes £225m Takeover of William Hill Owner Evoke
US casino operator Bally’s Intralot is weighing a £225 million (~$288 million) all‑share takeover of Evoke, the owner of William Hill and the 888 online casino brand. The proposal, which must be announced by May 18, may include a partial cash component. Evoke,...
Apollo Is the Latest Fund to Bet on European Hostels
Institutional investors are pouring capital into European hostels, with more than $1 billion deployed in the past 30 months. Apollo Global Management closed a senior €874 million (about $1 billion) loan secured by a&o Hostels’ 44 properties and roughly 30,000 beds. The financing...
Top Foreign Investors Backing India’s New-Age Tech IPOs
Foreign investors are increasingly anchoring India’s new‑age tech IPOs, contributing roughly $3.2 bn (₹26,508 Cr) in 2025 – about 40% of the capital raised by 18 listings since early 2025. Their participation jumped over 55% of primary‑market anchor tranches, with sovereign funds...
Aurobindo Pharma Announces Schedule, Record Date for Its Rs 800 Crore Share Buyback
Indian pharmaceutical firm Aurobindo Pharma announced a share buyback of up to Rs 800 crore (approximately $96 million) via a tender‑offer. The program will run from April 23 to April 29, targeting up to 54.23 lakh shares at Rs 1,475 per share (~$18), representing about 0.93% of...
City Minister: Tax Regime ‘Sends a Message’ to Fintech IPO Prospects
City minister Lucy Rigby told fintech leaders that the UK tax regime is pivotal for attracting new IPOs, highlighting the recent stamp‑duty holiday that waives the 0.5% levy for the first three years of a listing. While the Treasury hopes...
Saudi Arabia’s Capital Market Opens to All Foreign Investors: Key Reforms and Action Points
On 1 February 2026 the Saudi Capital Market Authority amended its foreign‑investment rules, allowing any foreign investor to purchase Saudi equities directly on Tadawul. The reforms dissolve the Qualified Foreign Investor classification, strip away the swap‑agreement framework, and create a single, unified...
EM Lens: Identifying Alpha Opportunities in EM Fixed Income
Creditors are re‑entering emerging‑market (EM) fixed income as technical supply‑demand dynamics, positive rating momentum, and wide real‑yield differentials create a supportive backdrop. Ninety‑One portfolio manager Thys Louw and Bloomberg Intelligence strategist Damian Sassower discuss how these factors generate alpha in...
HKEX Appoints Head of Debt Market Development
Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEX) has named Lawrence Lau as managing director and head of debt market development. Lau most recently served as managing director and head of debt capital markets at Bank of China International. The move is part...
Alamar Lists on Nasdaq, Giving Qiming Its Fifth IPO in 2026
Alamar Biosciences, a proteomics company founded in 2018, debuted on Nasdaq, delivering Qiming Venture Partners its fifth IPO in 2026. The firm’s Nulisa technology provides femtogram‑level sensitivity and a 12‑log dynamic range, while its Argo HT instrument has installed over 100...
World’s Best Investment Banks 2026: Good Times Fizzle Away
Global M&A activity that surged past $5 trillion in 2025 stalled sharply in Q1 2026, with Dealogic reporting a 28% drop to $1.08 bn and 7,740 deals. The slowdown follows the US‑Israel‑Iran conflict that sent crude oil futures up 73% YTD, raising...
World’s Best Investment Banks: Global Winners
Global Finance Magazine’s 2025 rankings spotlight the year’s top investment banks across multiple specialties. Goldman Sachs retained the No. 1 spot for IPO execution, advising mega‑deals such as the $53 billion Hess‑Chevron sale and the $7.2 billion Medline offering, while global investment‑banking revenue...
Multiples, Warburg Among PE Giants in Race for $100-Mn Giva Stake
Giva, a premium‑yet‑affordable Indian jewellery brand, is in talks with private‑equity firms Multiples, Warburg Pincus and Kedaara Capital for an $80‑100 million stake. The interest follows Giva’s recent Series C round that raised roughly ₹530 crore (about $64 million). The deal reflects confidence in Giva’s...
UK Mid-Market Buy-and-Build Activity Drops 61% in 2025 After 2024 Peak
UK private‑equity and venture‑capital platforms saw bolt‑on acquisitions plunge 61% in 2025, falling from a record 114 deals in 2024 to roughly 44 deals. The slowdown was most pronounced in technology, insurance and education, while business services, financial services and...
Wealth Advisers Generate over $2bn in Private Capital Fees as Retail Access to Alts Expands
Wealth advisers at banks and brokerages have collected more than $2 bn in servicing fees from private‑market funds since 2017, driven by the rapid rise of evergreen and semi‑liquid alternatives. The fee stream includes annual servicing charges of 25‑85 basis points...
Benchmark, Foundation and Eclipse Poised for Win with Cerebras IPO
AI chipmaker Cerebras Systems is preparing for an initial public offering, positioning its early backers Benchmark, Foundation and Eclipse for substantial gains. The venture firms were the first investors, providing the $27 million Series A round in 2016. Since then, Cerebras has...
AXT Announces Public Offering
AXT Inc., a Fremont‑based producer of gallium arsenide, indium phosphide and germanium substrates, announced a public offering of common stock with a 30‑day overallotment option allowing underwriters to purchase up to an additional 15% of the shares. The offering is...
HKEX Builds FIC Leadership Team with New Appointment
Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX) appointed Lawrence Lau as Managing Director and Head of Debt Market Development, leading a new Debt Market Development team within its Fixed Income and Currency (FIC) business. Lau will oversee primary bond issuance and...
Polish Warsaw Equity Group Leads €5M Series A Alongside Porsche Ventures
Polish investment firm Warsaw Equity Group led a €5 million (≈ $5.45 million) Series A round in German EV‑charging tech company &Charge, with Porsche Ventures and existing backers InnoEnergy and Redstone also participating. The funding aims to close the data gap in Europe’s fragmented...
Hotel101 Pushes on with $300-M US Offering
Hotel101 Global, a DoubleDragon subsidiary, announced a $300 million perpetual preferred share offering in the United States, equivalent to roughly P18 billion. The capital will finance the brand’s aggressive global rollout and accelerate its asset‑light, prop‑tech hospitality platform. Management aims to operate one...
Liquid Dodges Debt Crunch – at a Hefty Price
Liquid Intelligent Technologies completed a $660 million refinancing that eliminates its near‑term default risk. The deal centers on a $300 million senior secured bond at a 10.75% coupon, replacing a 5.5% bond due in September. Additional financing includes a $150 million syndicated term...
Musk’s SpaceX Tries to Woo Wall Street with Analyst Meetings This Week, Sources Say
SpaceX is staging a three‑day analyst roadshow in Texas and Tennessee as it prepares a $75 billion initial public offering slated for late June. The briefings will showcase the Starbase launch site and the Colossus data centre, while a later modeling...
Tea Café Chain Chaayos in Talks to Raise $50-70 Million, Appoints Banker
Mumbai‑based tea‑café chain Chaayos has engaged Avendus to help raise fresh capital. The company aims to secure between $50 million and $70 million in the round. This follows its 2022 Series C that brought in $53 million and placed a $250 million valuation on the...
CATL Share Sale’s Tightening Discount Shows China Tech Momentum
Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL) sold 58 million shares – 1.27% of its float – at a 5.1% discount, more than twice oversubscribed. The deal, valued at 23.8 billion yuan (≈$3.3 billion), narrowed the discount from the 6.9% seen in November, underscoring heightened investor...
Nvidia Supplier Victory Giant Sees Shares Soar 60% in Hong Kong Debut
Victory Giant Technology, a Chinese printed circuit board supplier to Nvidia, completed Hong Kong’s largest IPO of 2026, raising about HK$20.1 bn ($2.57 bn). The shares opened at HK$209.88 ($27) and surged as much as 60%, closing 46% higher at HK$306.8 ($39). The...
Malaysian C-Store Giant KK Mart Reveals IPO Plan
Malaysian convenience‑store chain KK Mart Retail Bhd filed a draft prospectus to list on Bursa Malaysia. The company runs 996 KK Super Mart and KK Mart outlets nationwide. The IPO could involve up to 840 million shares, mixing 630 million existing shares...
Victory Giant Founder on $2.6 Billion HK Listing, AI Boom
Victory Giant Technology Huizhou Co. debuted on the Hong Kong exchange, raising HK$2.6 billion (≈$332 million). Founder Chen Tao told Bloomberg the PCB maker expects high‑speed growth driven by AI and computing power demand over the next five years. The company announced capacity...
Report: Deutsche Telekom-T-Mobile Deal in Play
Deutsche Telekom, which already holds about a 53% stake in T‑Mobile US, is reportedly weighing a merger with its American subsidiary. The plan would involve creating a holding company to own both the German carrier and the U.S. uncarrier, consolidating...
National Bank Holdings Corp (NBHC) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
National Bank Holdings Corp (NBHC) closed its Vista Bank acquisition, adding $2.4 billion of earning assets and expanding its loan portfolio to roughly $9.4 billion. Tangible book value per share rose 10% and the CET1 capital ratio climbed to 14.9%, underscoring a...
CLO-Spreads-Stay-Wide-as-Uncertainty-Around-Iran-War-Persists
Two months after the Iran war began, CLO primary market spreads remain wide, especially for lower‑rated tranches. US issuance has fallen 40% and Europe 60% since the conflict, with the European market nearly halted. Reset activity has collapsed, prompting a...
Industry-Groups-Warn-EU-Securitisation-Reforms-Could-Backfire
The European Commission has unveiled a new securitisation framework aimed at boosting transparency, risk‑retention and ESG labeling across the continent. Industry bodies such as the European Securitisation Forum and major banking associations argue the rules will raise compliance costs and...
Victory Giant Surges in Debut After Biggest Hong Kong Listing This Year
Victory Giant Technology Huizhou Co., a key Nvidia supplier, debuted on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange with a $2.6 billion raise, the city’s largest listing in seven months. The stock opened at HK$336.20 (about $43) versus the HK$209.88 (≈$27) issue price,...
FinanceAsia Achievement Awards: Inside Apac's Winning Capital Markets & Advisory Deals
FinanceAsia’s Achievement Awards 2025 honored more than 1,000 APAC market participants, spotlighting landmark capital‑markets and advisory transactions. Notable wins included Hysan’s first perpetual hybrid rated just one notch below senior, Scentre Group’s A$650 million (≈ $430 million) hybrid that revived Australia’s corporate‑hybrid market,...
2 Spirits Giants Are Fighting to Buy the Maker of Jack Daniel’s. 1 Is Winning, So Far
A takeover battle is unfolding for Brown‑Forman, the maker of Jack Daniel’s. Sazerac initially bid for the $12.4 billion company, but a competing proposal from French giant Pernod Ricard has emerged as the preferred partner. Brown‑Forman’s leadership and founding family see the...
Recent Large Taxable GO Deals Show Continued Demand
Large taxable general‑obligation bonds have re‑energized the muni market, with New York City issuing $2.25 billion and Hawaii $1.5 billion in high‑grade deals last week. The combined $4 billion‑plus weekly issuance is the strongest since March 2023, offering investment‑grade buyers liquidity and attractive credit spreads. Analysts...
How Saudi Arabia's Entertainment Investments Are Playing Out at Home and Abroad
Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund has pledged $24 billion to the proposed Paramount‑Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery merger, a centerpiece of a wider push to wield soft power, diversify the kingdom’s oil‑dependent economy, and expand domestic entertainment options. The deal follows...
Chord Music-Linked ABS Vehicle Plans $500M Deal, Backed by $830M Catalog Led by Suicideboys, Morgan Wallen, and Ryan Tedder Rights
Universal Music Group‑backed Chord Music Partners is launching a new ABS vehicle, Canon Music Issuer Trust, to raise $500 million of debt. The notes are secured by an $830 million royalty pool covering 3,750 works, with Suicideboys, Morgan Wallen and Ryan Tedder accounting for...