Return of the (Space) SPAC
Former investment banker Raphael Roettgen revived a space‑focused SPAC in early 2026 after a four‑year hiatus, raising about $230 million in trust to seek a merger with a space‑related company. The new vehicle, Space Asset Acquisition Corp., reflects a broader revival of space SPAC activity as the sector matures and demonstrates real revenues and cash flow. Roettgen argues that tighter regulatory oversight and lessons from the 2021‑22 boom have produced a more disciplined market, while an executive order on U.S. space competitiveness fuels demand for public‑market capital. Analysts note the comeback is tentative but signals renewed investor appetite for space infrastructure and launch services.
JLL Arranges $37M Financing for Ambiente
JLL Hotels & Hospitality Group arranged a $37 million non‑recourse refinancing for Ambiente, a 40‑room adults‑only luxury landscape hotel in Sedona, Arizona. The deal, executed through a debt fund, includes a sizable cash‑out component that recapitalizes the property to fund ongoing...
Press Release: Global Corporates Bolster FX Risk Management Amidst Trade Uncertainty
Global corporates are intensifying foreign‑exchange risk management as trade volatility spikes. A new Treasury Today survey shows 88% now hedge FX, with 61% of previously unhedged firms contemplating hedging. Despite a 67% surge in hedging costs, activity has risen and...
Press Release: SkySelect Raises $9m to Fix Aviation’s $11bn Supply Chain Crisis with AI Procurement
SkySelect announced a $9 million funding round to scale its AI‑powered aviation procurement platform, aiming to alleviate the $11 billion supply‑chain crisis highlighted by IATA. Airlines spend $60 billion annually on parts, yet manual processes generate $50 billion in excess inventory and grounding delays....
Leveraged Loan Insight & Analysis – 3/2/2026
U.S. sponsored loan issuance reached $148.7 bn YTD through February 2026, a 26% decline compared with the same period last year. Refinancing activity accounted for $82.3 bn, or 55% of total volume, while new money contributed $66.4 bn (45%). The slowdown reflects tighter...
Hunter Point CEO: Japan’s Emerging GP Landscape Ripe for Future Stakes Deals
Hunter Point CEO Avi Kalichstein told Private Equity International that Japan’s general‑partner (GP) ecosystem, though still nascent, is gaining momentum. He highlighted a growing talent pipeline and an increasing appetite for partnership among Japanese firms. Kalichstein believes these dynamics will...
Jefferies Faces Scrutiny over MFS, First Brands Exposure
Jefferies Financial Group disclosed a £100 million exposure to the collapsed UK lender Market Financial Solutions, prompting a 9% plunge in its shares that later stabilized but fell an additional 2%. The bank also faces lawsuits over a $715 million receivable tied...
Side Letter: Europe’s Exit Intervention
Private equity markets in Europe are confronting a slowdown in exits, raising concerns that policymakers could step in to support liquidity. In the United Kingdom, large distribution‑capital firms are increasingly deploying capital directly, altering the structure of private‑market investing. Meanwhile,...
USL’s Forward Madison Seeks Investors as League Shifts Model
Forward Madison FC, a USL League One franchise, has hired Greenwich Advisory to explore an equity raise targeting private equity, family offices and strategic partners. The club, which averages over 4,000 fans in a 5,000‑seat stadium, is running break‑even to...
Information on the Total Number of Voting Rights and Shares of 74Software Share Capital as of February 28, 2026
74Software disclosed its capital structure as of February 28, 2026, reporting 29,746,194 total shares and 41,275,436 theoretical voting rights, of which 40,787,088 are exercisable. The figures are provided under French Commercial Code Articles L.233‑8 II and R.225‑73 I and AMF regulations for threshold‑crossing disclosures....
Director/PDMR Shareholding
Shell plc disclosed that Andrew Smith, President of Trading and Supply, received a conditional award of 11,269 ordinary shares under the Shell Share Plan 2023. The award, valued at €404,895, was priced at €35.93 per share and recorded on 2 March 2026....
Aqua Bio Technology ASA: Share Capital Increase Registered
Aqua Bio Technology ASA announced that its NOK 10 million share‑capital increase, approved at the extraordinary general meeting on 16 February 2026, has been formally registered with the Norwegian Register of Business Enterprises. The company’s total share capital now stands at NOK 26,139,675, divided...
Floatel International Ltd: Presentation at the DNB Energy & Shipping Conference
Floatel International Ltd announced that CEO Peter Jacobsson will present at the DNB Energy & Shipping Conference on March 4, 2026. The Norwegian‑based firm operates four semi‑submersible offshore accommodation vessels with capacities ranging from 440 to 560 beds, all equipped...
Big Battery Deals Dominate as Investors Buy, Sell, Finance and Contract Australian Energy Storage
In Q4 2025, battery energy storage systems dominated Australian renewable investment activity, featuring in 16 financing, M&A and offtake deals and representing 2.16 GW of transaction volume. Solar projects contributed 675 MW, with 90 % of that capacity in hybrid configurations. New South Wales...
Q&M Dental Set to Acquire a Singapore Dental Group
Q&M Dental Group announced a non‑binding MOU to acquire 100% of an unnamed Singapore dental chain. The transaction will be funded through a mix of cash and newly issued ordinary shares, and includes a profit guarantee of up to S$34 million...
DBS China Captures 38% of Panda Bond Market in 2025; Secures Principal Underwriting License
DBS China participated in 65.8 billion yuan of Panda‑bond issuances in 2025, capturing a 38% share of the China Interbank Bond Market. The bank also received a principal underwriting licence for non‑financial corporate bonds, the most extensive authority granted by the...
Structural-Protections,-Prime-Mortgages-and-Residential-ABS
In a recent SCI interview, Adam Rizkalla of Canyon Partners highlighted how structural protections are reshaping the residential ABS market, especially for prime mortgage pools. He explained that enhanced tranche designs and over‑collateralisation are reducing investor risk while preserving yield....
How Nvidia Turned a Steal of a Deal Into Its Secret Weapon
Nvidia leveraged its 2020 $7 billion acquisition of Mellanox to transform its networking business into a major growth engine. In the most recent fiscal quarter the company reported $11 billion in networking revenue, a 263 % increase year‑over‑year, positioning it as the world’s...
Skilled Nursing Dealbook: Welltower-Affiliated Nursing Homes Sell for $82.4M; Multi-State Deal Secures $51.2M in Financing
Hill Valley Healthcare purchased two Virginia skilled‑nursing facilities from a Welltower affiliate for $82.4 million, marking the REIT’s exit from assets originally bought for under $15 million each. Capital Funding Group closed a $51.2 million bridge‑loan to acquire four multi‑state SNFs with 487...
Brookfield Asset Management Announces $1 Billion Commercial Paper Program
Brookfield Asset Management announced a new private‑placement commercial paper program with a $1 billion ceiling. The unsecured notes will be issued on a short‑term basis to diversify the firm’s funding mix and bolster its balance sheet. Proceeds are slated for general...
Ares CEO Says UBS Call on 15% Private Debt Default ‘Absolutely Wrong’
Ares Management CEO Mike Arougheti dismissed UBS analysts' worst‑case projection that private‑credit defaults could hit 15%, labeling it irresponsible. UBS warned the scenario could materialize if artificial‑intelligence disruption spikes borrower distress, but otherwise expects defaults to rise about 5% before...
JLL Secures $36M Acquisition Financing for Chicago Industrial Portfolio
JLL arranged $35.6 million in acquisition financing for a 411,781‑square‑foot Chicago infill industrial seed portfolio comprising four shallow‑bay assets. The financing backs a newly formed joint venture between Matterhorn Venture Partners and TPG Angelo Gordon U.S. Real Estate, which has pledged...
MSRB Reform Bill Would Reverse Dodd-Frank Majority Public Mandate
Senator John Kennedy introduced the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board Reform Act of 2026, aiming to shift the MSRB’s governance to a majority of regulated representatives and tighten SEC oversight. The proposal would replace the current Dodd‑Frank‑mandated public‑representative majority with a...
Investor Intentions: Fondo Pensione BNL Issues RFP for Evergreen Private Equity
Italian private pension fund Fondo Pensione BNL has issued a request for proposals to allocate roughly €10 million into evergreen private equity vehicles. The RFP focuses on both closed‑end and open‑end funds domiciled within the European Union, reflecting a strategic shift...
As Claude Expands Into Finance, Outage Raises Risk Questions
Anthropic’s Claude suffered a widespread login outage early this week, while the API remained functional. The disruption arrived as Claude topped Apple’s App Store and the company amplified its "Claude for Financial Services" push, embedding the model in Excel, PowerPoint,...
IDB Invest Approves Financing for Genneia to Strengthen Argentina’s Energy Security
IDB Invest is committing up to $185 million to Genneia S.A. to develop four solar parks and 40 MW of battery storage across Argentina. The solar projects total 340 MW, with sites in Mendoza, San Juan and Buenos Aires, while the battery system will connect...
IDB Invest Approves Financing for Genneia to Strengthen Argentina’s Energy Security
IDB Invest is extending up to $185 million in financing to Argentine renewable leader Genneia to develop four solar parks and a 40 MW battery storage system. The solar projects total 340 MW across Mendoza, San Juan and Buenos Aires provinces, while the battery will...
A High Bar for Evergreen Valuations
Evergreen private equity funds are under increasing pressure to maintain rigorous, real‑time valuations. General partners’ internal marks now feed directly into faster net asset value (NAV) calculations, accelerating reporting cycles. These valuations are bound by heightened legal obligations, requiring strict...
Florida International University Upgraded to AA by Fitch
Fitch Ratings upgraded Florida International University's issuer default rating to AA, up from AA‑minus, and raised its parking‑revenue bonds to AA‑minus from A‑plus. The agency affirmed the dormitory‑revenue refunding bonds at A‑plus, while maintaining stable outlooks across all ratings. FIU’s...
Mondelēz CEO Says M&A Is Harder as Acquisition Targets Become ‘Too Expensive’
Food companies are increasingly turning to mergers and acquisitions to revive growth, pushing target valuations higher and making deals more expensive, Mondelēz International’s CEO warned. Mondelēz, which has completed about a dozen deals in the past decade, says reasonable pricing...
CVs Now Established as Exit Route Alongside M&A and IPO: Moelis’s Hammer
Moelis & Co managing director Jeff Hammer announced at NEXUS 2026 that continuation vehicles (CVs) have become an established exit route for private equity general partners, alongside traditional M&A and IPO pathways. He attributed this shift to the growing specialization...
Chart of the Week: Clearing the Backlog
The latest Dealogic and Bain & Company chart shows a noticeable uptick in corporate exit activity across the United States and Europe during 2025. This rise signals that the backlog of stalled mergers and acquisitions is finally being cleared. Higher...
Northern Trust: Illiquidity Is a Feature Not a Bug
Northern Trust’s Lynne Kostakis argues that illiquidity in private‑market investments is intentional, not a flaw, and can enhance long‑term returns. She outlines the investor profile best suited for such assets, emphasizing multi‑year horizons, high risk tolerance, and diversification. The firm...
China Rebounds to Become Asia’s Busiest Buyout Market – Deloitte
China has reclaimed its position as Asia’s busiest buyout market, according to Deloitte’s latest private‑equity report. A surge in domestic and regional fund activity offset a decline in Western capital, driving a 28% increase in deal volume year‑over‑year. The market...
Pershing Square Down 11% as Ackman Eyes Management Company IPO
Bill Ackman's Pershing Square Holdings has fallen 11.1% year‑to‑date through February 24, underperforming the S&P 500’s modest gain. The London‑listed fund, which represents about $13 billion of the firm’s $20 billion AUM, is hit by weakness in key positions such as Fannie Mae,...
KBC Group: Publication of Transparancy Notification(s) Received by KBC Group NV
KBC Group announced that Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC (FMR) now holds a 3.00% voting‑rights stake in the bank, bringing its total exposure to 4.66% after an acquisition on 23 February 2026. The increase crosses KBC’s 3% shareholder‑notification threshold under Belgian...
ABL Group ASA: Initiation of Share Buyback Program
ABL Group ASA announced a share buyback program authorising the repurchase of up to 300,000 shares, roughly 0.2% of its outstanding capital, for a maximum of NOK 5 million. The programme runs from 3 March 2026 until the share limit is reached or 30 June 2026,...
Casino Group Communication
Casino Group announced it is negotiating with creditors to adapt and strengthen its financial structure, extending consent periods and discussing operational financing extensions. The company postponed its 2025 full‑year results to the end of March while statutory auditors engage with...
Renault S.A.: Disclosure of Trading in Own Shares From February 20 to February 25, 2026
Renault S.A. disclosed that it repurchased a total of 600,000 of its own shares between February 20 and February 25, 2026. The buyback was executed through an investment services provider on the Paris exchange (XPAR) at an average weighted price...
Japanese Healthcare Pioneer Opens Sophomore Fund to Global LPs
Japanese healthcare private‑equity pioneer NPMI announced the launch of its second vehicle, NPMI Fund II. The fund is being pitched to global limited partners and could be up to six times larger than the inaugural fund, according to Private Equity...
Full-Stack-Backing-for-Baltic-Ambition
The Baltic region is launching a full‑stack Significant Risk Transfer (SRT) platform that combines origination, structuring, and distribution under one roof. Backed by a coalition of local banks and global institutional investors, the solution targets renewable energy, infrastructure and other...
Investors Welcome Bradesco Healthcare Shakeup
Brazilian financial giant Bradesco announced it will consolidate all of its healthcare holdings into a single, publicly listed division. The restructuring creates a dedicated health platform that will house hospitals, insurance operations, and ancillary services under one corporate umbrella. Investors...
Munis Outperform UST Selloff Amid U.S.-Iran War
Municipal bonds outperformed a broad U.S. Treasury sell‑off on Monday as geopolitical tension over the U.S.–Iran conflict heightened oil prices above $70 a barrel. The two‑year muni‑UST ratio sat near 58‑61%, while Treasury yields rose 7‑11 basis points across the...
Anatomy Of A Modern Merger: A Step-By-Step Guide For GCs
The article outlines a step‑by‑step guide for general counsel (GCs) navigating pre‑merger logistics, emphasizing the need for accurate entity data and clear role definition. It highlights Mercator’s Entica platform as a tool for visualizing corporate structures, managing data access, and...
Geopolitical Shock From Operation Epic Fury Tests Muni Market Resilience
Operation Epic Fury, the U.S.-Israeli campaign against Iran, is driving heightened volatility across global markets. Oil and natural‑gas prices have surged, prompting a risk‑off shift in equities and signaling inflation concerns in bond yields. Municipal bond investors face uncertain supply‑demand...
Generate Biomedicines’ IPO Brings In $400M for Pivotal Tests of Severe Asthma Drug
Generate Biomedicines priced its IPO at $16 per share, raising $400 million to fund pivotal trials of its lead candidate GB‑0895. The antibody blocks the TSLP pathway and is engineered for six‑month dosing, a potential advantage over existing asthma biologics that...
Brussels Regulatory Brief: November/December 2025–January 2026
The European Commission unveiled new guidelines on the EU Foreign Subsidies Regulation, defining presumptions for targeted subsidies, a balancing test, and a prior‑notification regime for below‑threshold deals. In parallel, it levied hefty penalties: €72 million on automotive starter‑battery makers for a...
NFMA's New Chair Highlights Initiatives Including Membership Survey, White Papers
Angela Kukoda, the 2026 chair of the National Federation of Municipal Analysts (NFMA), announced a slate of initiatives aimed at modernizing the organization and deepening member value. NFMA will launch a comprehensive membership survey, release two white papers on collateral...
Fiber Network Provider Fidium's Latest Master Trust Issuance Raises $664.6 Million
Fiber provider Fidium launched a $664.6 million asset‑backed securities program, issuing three tranches (A‑2, B, C) slated to close on March 31. The trust holds conduits, cables, equipment and contracts covering about 351,000 subscribers across eight states, with Maine, New Hampshire and Texas...
Damon CEO, CFO, and Board Resign Following Prolonged Struggle on Public Markets
Vancouver‑based electric motorcycle maker Damon Motors announced the resignation of its entire board, including founder‑CEO Dom Kwong and CFO, following a tumultuous public‑market debut. After a 13‑month reverse‑merger that took the company public on NASDAQ in November 2024, its share...