Puig, Estée Lauder Companies Considering Merger
Spanish fragrance group Puig and U.S. beauty giant Estée Lauder Companies have entered talks about a possible merger, which could create a combined entity valued around $40 billion. The discussion follows a sharp decline in Estée Lauder’s share price, down nearly 75% since early 2022, and a recent slide in Puig’s market value from $16 billion to about $10 billion. Both companies bring complementary luxury perfume and fashion portfolios, including Byredo, Charlotte Tilbury, Tom Ford, and Jean Paul Gaultier. A merger would aim to broaden distribution channels and reduce reliance on the weak Chinese market.
Simon Lines Up $465M Refi For Pentagon City Mall, Office And Hotel
Simon Property Group and Institutional Mall Investors are set to close a $465 million refinancing loan for the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City, its adjacent Metro Tower office building, and the Ritz‑Carlton hotel. The five‑year, interest‑only loan, originated by Goldman Sachs,...
The M&A Risk of Confusing Market Velocity with Marketing Capability
Rob Robinson warns that technology M&A teams often mistake rapid market momentum for durable marketing capability. When a product arrives at the right moment, its novelty can generate brand‑like awareness without a solid marketing org, inflating acquisition premiums. As the...
NYC Outlook Takes Another Hit Heading Into $2.65B Deal
New York City is issuing $2.65 billion of general‑obligation bonds, but rating agencies Fitch, KBRA and Moody’s have shifted the city’s outlook to negative, citing a $5.4 billion budget gap and reliance on state‑approved tax hikes. The bond deal comprises four series,...
Buyside Approaches Data Center-Adjacent Bonds with Caution
Municipal bond issuance is accelerating as data‑center projects drive demand for public‑power and water infrastructure, with demand projected to rise 20‑25% annually through 2030. While public‑power issuance is down 33.7% year‑to‑date, water‑sewer issuance is up 15.9%, and analysts forecast up...
Basmati Rice Exporter Amir Chand Mobilises Rs 60 Crore From Anchor Investors
Amir Chand Jagdish Kumar (Exports) Ltd secured about $7.3 million from anchor investors at the top of its IPO price band, paving the way for its $54 million, 2026 initial public offering. The IPO, priced between ₹201‑₹212 per share (approximately $2.45‑$2.58 million total),...
Coal India Board Approves up to 35% Divestment in SECL via OFS and up to 25% in Mahanadi Coalfields
Coal India Ltd's board approved selling up to 35% of its stake in South Eastern Coalfields Ltd (SECL) via an Offer for Sale and issuing fresh equity up to 10% of post‑issue capital. It also cleared a divestment of up...
CrossCountry, UWM Vie for Two Harbors in Bidding War
Two Harbors said CrossCountry’s unsolicited $10.70‑per‑share cash offer is superior, but a higher $10.75 cash bid from an unnamed party is also on the table. The REIT would receive a $25.4 million fee if the pending $1.3 billion all‑stock merger with United...
Groww Promoter Group Entities Pledge 1.9 Cr Shares To Aditya Birla Capital
Groww’s promoter group entities pledged a total of 1.88 cr shares, worth roughly $36 million, to Aditya Birla Capital on March 20. The pledge represents about 27.8% of the promoter’s stake, while public investors hold the remaining 72.2%. Groww, which went public in November 2025...
SEBI Removes Automatic Disqualification Triggers in Revised ‘Fit and Proper’ Norms
SEBI has overhauled its "fit and proper" framework for market intermediaries, removing automatic disqualification for pending criminal complaints, FIRs, chargesheets and winding‑up initiations, while expanding disqualification to include convictions for economic offences and securities‑law violations. The new regime adopts principle‑based...
Mercer Acquisition Brings ‘Missing Link’ to AltamarCAM
Mercer has completed the acquisition of AltamarCAM, a specialist in private‑equity secondaries, to fill a strategic gap in its investment‑advisory platform. The deal was discussed by Mercer’s Michael Dempsey in a Q&A with AltamarCAM founder Jose Luis Molina, emphasizing the...
Legend Internet Is Merging with Spectranet in a Broadband Consolidation Play
Legend Internet Plc, Nigeria’s first listed ISP, announced a merger with market‑leader Spectranet, targeting completion in Q2 2026 pending FCCPC and NCC approval. The deal combines Legend’s listed status and fibre footprint with Spectranet’s strong wireless brand, aiming to boost network...
Bark Won’t Go Private, for Now
Bark announced it will not pursue two recent take‑private offers, opting to remain a public company. The board’s special committee concluded that the existing standalone strategy best maximizes long‑term shareholder value. The first proposal from Great Dane Ventures was withdrawn...
Deep-Tech Player Pranos Fusion Raises $6.8 Million in Round Co-Led by Pi Ventures, Ankur Capital
Pranos Fusion, an Indian deep‑tech startup focused on fusion energy, secured $6.8 million (≈$7.6 million) in an early‑stage round co‑led by pi Ventures and Ankur Capital, with participation from Industrial47 and several high‑profile angels. The capital will fund the commissioning of a tokamak...
The Lesser-Known Part of PE Where Sponsors Seek 3x-Plus Returns
Headway Capital Partners’ research shows independent private‑equity sponsors are targeting three‑times‑plus returns, outpacing traditional fund benchmarks. The shift stems from heightened deal selectivity and a strategic focus on lower‑multiple acquisitions. Sponsors believe tighter sourcing and disciplined pricing can deliver superior...
Ethiopia’s Bishoftu Mega Airport Secures Fresh Financing Momentum
Ethiopia’s Bishoftu International Airport, a $12.5 billion megaproject designed for up to 110 million passengers a year, is moving from planning to construction with a target completion around 2030. Italy has entered financing discussions, signaling European confidence and adding a new layer...
Delivery Hero SE (DELHY) M&A Call Transcript
Delivery Hero announced the sale of its Taiwan food‑delivery business to Grab for $600 million in cash. The divestiture is the fifth asset monetization since the company launched a strategic review in December 2025. Management said the transaction will sharpen focus on...
United Health Services: Talkspace Acquisition Shows The New Normal For Hybrid Healthcare
United Health Services completed the acquisition of virtual behavioral health platform Talkspace at $5.25 per share, valuing the company at roughly $835 million enterprise value. The purchase brings about 6,000 licensed clinicians into UHS’s network, directly addressing chronic staffing shortages and...
Eurobites: Poste Italiane Proffers €10.8B Bid for Telecom Italia
Poste Italiane has submitted a €10.8 billion offer to acquire Telecom Italia, Italy’s largest fixed‑line operator. The postal group already controls 27.3% of TIM after buying shares from former major shareholder Vivendi. TIM’s fixed‑line network has already been sold to a...
Confirmed: Primary Wave Music to Acquire Kobalt From Francisco Partners
Primary Wave Music has agreed to acquire Kobalt, a leading independent publishing and technology platform, in a deal valued at over $1.5 billion. Brookfield will co‑invest, reinforcing a partnership that began with a $2 billion funding arrangement in 2022. Kobalt will stay...
Olympus Partners to Sell EyeSouth’s Retina Business for $1.1b
Private equity firm Olympus Partners announced the sale of EyeSouth’s retina business for $1.1 billion. EyeSouth, a U.S.-based management services organization for eye‑care providers, will transfer its retina platform to an undisclosed buyer. The transaction underscores strong valuation multiples in specialty...
EA Touts $700 Million Buyout Cost Savings to Coax Debt Investors
Electronic Arts is courting investors for a $15 billion debt package that will fund its acquisition by a consortium of private‑equity firms. The financing proposal emphasizes roughly $700 million in annual cost‑saving synergies that the new owners expect to recognize as earnings....
DBS Downgrades Singtel to ‘Hold’ on Weaker Valuation of Bharti Airtel
DBS Group Research downgraded Singapore Telecommunications (Singtel) to a “hold” and cut its target price to S$5.36 (about $4) after trimming the valuation of its Indian associate Bharti Airtel by 13% to 2,000 rupees (≈ $24). The analyst warned that Singtel’s FY2027...
Sony Said Near $1 Billion Home Entertainment Deal With TCL
Sony Group is close to finalising a roughly $1 billion transaction that would transfer a majority stake in its home‑entertainment division to Chinese TV maker TCL Electronics. Negotiations have progressed to an advanced stage, with both parties targeting an announcement later...
'I Did Not Call Myself a Dictator:' Credit-Union CEO
California Coast Credit Union CEO Todd Lane is embroiled in a rare, combative merger dispute with San Diego County Credit Union (SDCCU). After SDCCU attempted to renegotiate the April 2025 deal and install its own CEO, Cal Coast sued, alleging breach of the...
Sweden’s H100 Targets Norwegian Firms in All-Stock Bitcoin Deal
Sweden‑listed H100 Group signed a letter of intent to acquire Norwegian Bitcoin firms Moonshot and Never Say Die in an all‑stock transaction, adding roughly 2,450 BTC to its holdings. The deal would raise H100’s total to about 3,501 Bitcoin, valued...
Bain Capital’s Bridge Data Centres Seeks Up to $6 Billion Loan
Bridge Data Centres, owned by Bain Capital, is negotiating a loan of up to $6 billion, which would rank among the largest data‑center financings in Asia. The proposed facility is expected to have a 12‑month tenor. Proceeds are earmarked for expanding...
Nebius Group Announces Closing of Private Offering of Convertible Senior Notes, With Aggregate Gross Proceeds of Approximately $4.3 Billion
Nebius Group N.V. closed a private placement of convertible senior notes, raising roughly $4.3 billion. The offering comprised two series: 1.250% notes due 2031 and 2.625% notes due 2033, sold to qualified institutional buyers under Rule 144A. The capital will fund the...
Grab to Acquire Delivery Hero’s Foodpanda Delivery Business in Taiwan
Grab will acquire Delivery Hero’s Foodpanda Taiwan for $600 million in cash, marking its first move beyond Southeast Asia. The deal, cash‑free and debt‑free, is slated to close in the second half of 2026 pending regulatory sign‑off. Foodpanda Taiwan posted roughly...
The Shakespearean Animus of Botín and Orcel
Spain’s Banco Santander chief Ana Botín and Italy’s UniCredit CEO Andrea Orcel have turned a former mentorship into a high‑profile rivalry that now plays out across compensation, profitability and market performance. A lingering €43.4 million legal award for Orcel underscores the personal tension,...
BNP Paribas Surges up UK M&A Rankings
BNP Paribas has vaulted to third place in the UK M&A advisory rankings, advising on £25.6 bn of deals this year—already more than its total volume for the entire previous year. The surge is anchored by two marquee transactions: Nuveen’s £9.9 bn...
London Mega Mergers Test Tech More than Balance Sheets
London’s latest mega‑asset‑manager mergers highlight a shift from headline‑grabbing deal values to the hidden technology challenge of integrating disparate data engines. While consolidation promises top‑line growth amid shrinking profitability and rising regulatory costs, legacy databases and cloud‑native platforms often clash,...
Winner Spotlight 2026: Aster Chemicals and Energy
Singapore’s FinanceAsia named Aster Chemicals and Energy’s $1 billion sustainability‑linked syndicated loan as a Highly Commended Best Syndicated Loan Deal. The facility, led by OCBC and DBS, was upsized by $300 million through a greenshoe option and syndicated to ten additional banks...
VPBank Seeks $1.2 Billion in One of Vietnam’s Largest ESG Deals
Vietnam's VPBank is pursuing a $1.2 billion sustainability‑linked loan, one of the country’s largest ESG‑tied financings. The three‑year facility will be underwritten by more than a dozen banks. Proceeds will be tied to specific environmental, social and governance performance targets. The...
Kotak Bank Set to Acquire Deutsche's Retail Business in Rs 4,500-Crore Deal
Kotak Mahindra Bank is poised to acquire Deutsche Bank's India retail business for roughly Rs 4,500 crore, after being named the preferred buyer. The transaction covers a loan‑and‑deposit portfolio valued at about Rs 27,000 crore, including personal, home and MSME loans, retail deposits and...
Spanish-Bank-Prints-Record-Corporate-SRT
A leading Spanish bank announced a record‑high volume of corporate Structured Risk Transfer (SRT) transactions in Q1 2026, issuing approximately €5 billion ($5.4 billion) of SRT securities. The surge reflects an expanding pipeline of high‑yield corporate assets and heightened investor appetite for...
The Making Of A $500Mn SaaS Powerhouse: Inside Wingify’s Merger With AB Tasty
Wingify, the maker of Visual Website Optimizer (VWO), merged with French competitor AB Tasty in January 2026, forming a $500 million SaaS powerhouse. The combined entity now reports roughly $120 million in annual revenue and serves about 4,000 customers across the US...
Pershing Square IPO: Should You Buy the PSUS IPO?
Bill Ackman has filed for a combined IPO of Pershing Square USA (ticker PSUS) and his hedge‑fund firm Pershing Square (ticker PS) as the 2026 IPO market remains weak. The closed‑end fund will list on the NYSE at $50 per...
OpenAI's Data Center Pivot Underscores Wall Street Spending Concerns Ahead of IPO
OpenAI is abandoning plans to build its own data centers, opting instead to lease cloud capacity from partners like Oracle, Microsoft and Amazon after a severe weather‑related outage in Texas highlighted construction risks. The shift comes as the company prepares...
Trenzet Infra Files Papers with SEBI to Raise Funds via IPO
Trenzet Infra Ltd, a railway‑focused EPC contractor, has filed a draft red‑herring prospectus with SEBI to launch an IPO comprising a fresh issue of 1.05 crore shares and an offer‑for‑sale of 18 lakh promoter shares. The proceeds are earmarked for working‑capital needs,...
FemTech IPO Outlook: Investors & Trends
FemTech is transitioning from a niche venture segment to a mainstream health‑tech investment theme, with the market valued at $9.12 billion in 2025 and projected to reach $10.67 billion in 2026. A surge in late‑stage mega‑deals—42 % of 2025 funding—has concentrated capital in...
Malaysian Construction Firm IJM’s Leaders Urge Rejection of $2.8B Takeover Bid From Billionaire Jeffrey Cheah’s Sunway
Malaysian construction giant IJM Corp. has urged shareholders to reject Sunway Group’s MYR 11 billion ($2.8 billion) takeover proposal. An independent adviser valued IJM shares at a 46‑51% premium, deeming Sunway’s MYR 3.15 per share offer substantially undervalued. IJM’s board highlighted the...
Vedanta Moves NCLAT Against Adani’s Jaiprakash Associates Takeover
Vedanta Ltd has filed an appeal with the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) contesting lenders’ approval of Adani Enterprises’ ₹14,543 crore bid for the bankrupt Jaiprakash Associates (JAL). Vedanta argues it offered the highest net‑present‑value bid of ₹12,505.85 crore and that...
Fortress Prepares to Offload Majestic Wine
Fortress Investment Group is preparing to sell Majestic Wine, the UK’s largest specialist wine retailer, which it acquired in 2019 for £95 million. Rothschild will manage the sales process, with a formal auction expected early next year and no price guidance...
Exclusive: Exponent Energy Raising $20 Mn in an Extended Series B
Exponent Energy announced an extended Series B round that will raise Rs 182 crore ($20 million), co‑led by 360 One and TDK Ventures, with participation from existing backers. The funding lifts the post‑money valuation by roughly 56% to about Rs 1.25‑1.30 billion. Revenue surged 80% to Rs 30.2 crore...
Exclusive: WeRize to Raise Rs 64 Cr From Existing Investors
Full‑stack fintech WeRize is raising Rs 64 crore (~$6.9 million) through convertible equity, with Sony Innovation Fund contributing Rs 46 crore and 3one4 Capital Rs 18 crore. The capital will fund general operations, working‑capital needs, capital expenditures, and geographic expansion. WeRize, founded by former Lendingkart executives, serves...
FPIs Pull Out ₹35,475 Cr This Week From Indian Markets, March Outflows Hit ₹88,180 Cr
Foreign portfolio investors withdrew ₹35,475 crore from Indian equities this week, taking March’s cumulative outflow to ₹88,180 crore – the highest monthly net withdrawal recorded in 2026. The sell‑off accelerated after a Monday outflow of ₹10,827 crore and ended with a Friday dump...
CMPDIL IPO: Coal India Arm Sees 7% Subscription on Day 1
Central Mine Planning and Design Institute Ltd (CMPDIL), a Coal India subsidiary, launched a ₹1,842‑crore offer‑for‑sale IPO on March 21, 2026. The issue attracted a 7% overall subscription on day one, with retail investors at 10% and non‑institutional investors at 5%. CMPDIL...
Otello Corporation Share Buyback Program Status
Otello Corporation announced that between 16 and 20 March 2026 Pareto Securities purchased 97,200 shares at an average price of NOK 17.05, representing a NOK 1.66 million outlay. Since the program’s launch on 9 February 2026, the company has bought a total of...