For Ellison, Combining HBO Max and Paramount+ Is About 'Reinventing' Film and TV
Paramount Chairman David Ellison outlined a plan to merge HBO Max and Paramount+ after a $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, creating a streaming platform with over 200 million subscribers. The combined entity will inherit blockbuster franchises such as Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Mission: Impossible and Top Gun, while retaining HBO’s independence. Ellison emphasized cost‑cutting through technology consolidation and pledged no cuts to programming budgets despite a projected $79 billion net‑debt load.
Nedbank Wins Regulatory Approval To Take Majority Stake In Kenya’s NCBA
Nedbank has secured regulatory clearance to acquire a 66% controlling stake in Kenya’s NCBA for $855.5 million, marking one of the largest cross‑border banking deals in recent African history. The acquisition gives Nedbank access to NCBA’s $5.4 billion in assets, more than...
Fox’s Lachlan Murdoch Expects Regulators to Put Conditions on Paramount-WBD Merger
Fox Corp. CEO Lachlan Murdoch warned that U.S. regulators will likely attach a third‑party content‑licensing condition to the $110 billion Paramount‑Warner Bros. Discovery merger. He also noted that CNN, under David Ellison, will continue to challenge Fox News as a strong competitor....
Is DAZN Planning to Make a Run at the NFL?
DAZN is positioning itself to bid for a domestic NFL package as the league prepares for its next round of broadcast negotiations. The streamer already distributes NFL Game Pass internationally and saw a 24% subscription increase in 2025, signaling appetite...
Tekken and Pac-Man Owners Bandai Namco Announce Major Restructure with Investment From Sony
Bandai Namco Holdings announced a company‑wide restructuring affecting its film, toy, arcade and video‑game divisions, effective 1 April. The move follows Sony’s purchase of 16 million shares—about 2.5% of the firm—for roughly $464.5 million, and precedes Nintendo’s planned acquisition of Bandai Namco Studios Singapore. The...
Paramount Plans to Merge Streaming Service with HBO Max After WBD Deal Closes
Paramount plans to merge its Paramount+ service with HBO Max once its $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery closes, creating a single streaming platform with over 200 million direct‑to‑consumer subscribers. The combined service will sit between Netflix’s 325 million global base and...
CCMP at Early-Stage Sale Process for Facilities Manager BGIS, Sources Say
Canadian facilities‑management firm BGIS has entered an early‑stage sale process led by private‑equity sponsor CCMP. Sources indicate the transaction could be priced at roughly 12 times EBITDA, valuing the business near $2.2 billion. The move reflects heightened interest in stable, cash‑generating...
Amadeus Emerges as Suitor for Idemia PS, Deal Would Create Airport Biometrics Behemoth
Amadeus IT SA is in advanced talks to acquire Idemia Public Security for an estimated €2‑3 billion, a move that would combine the airline‑tech group’s travel‑focused biometric suite with Idemia’s law‑enforcement and border‑control capabilities. Idemia PS brings core biometric algorithm IP...
Hampton Inn & Suites and Holiday Inn Express & Suites Orlando-Apopka Sold
HVS Brokerage & Advisory closed the sale of two midscale hotels in Apopka, Florida: the 81‑key Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton and the 77‑key Holiday Inn Express & Suites. Each property was sold separately to private regional investors, with the Holiday Inn purchased by a Connecticut 1031‑exchange...
Global Eggs Gets Investment From PE Firm Warburg Pincus
Global Eggs announced a private‑equity investment of up to $1 bn from Warburg Pincus. The deal values the multinational egg producer at roughly $8 bn. The company, founded in 2018, now runs more than 50 farms across the United States, South America and...
Dwight Capital Expands Servicing Platform With Midland State Bank Deal
Dwight Capital has purchased Midland States Bank’s HUD mortgage‑servicing rights portfolio, encompassing more than $500 million in unpaid principal balance tied to skilled nursing facilities, assisted living centers, and hospitals. The acquisition pushes Dwight’s total loan‑servicing assets above $15 billion, reinforcing its...
Ferrero’s Next Move: Reshaping Confectionery and Snacking
Ferrero, valued at $62.7 bn, is leveraging its iconic brands, vertical integration and a string of acquisitions to expand beyond chocolate into biscuits, ice cream and snacks. Product innovation and premium positioning have driven a 4.6% revenue increase to €19.3 bn in...
Grupo Alacant to Snap up Irish Ice-Cream Peer Silver Pail
Spanish ice‑cream group Grupo Alacant, backed by private‑equity firm InvestIndustrial, announced it will acquire Ireland’s Silver Dairy Ventures (Silver Pail). The deal, terms undisclosed, is projected to generate roughly €300 million in annual revenue for the combined entity. Silver Pail, based in Fermoy...
EYE NEWSFLASH: Dexters Reports Double-Digit Rise in Revenue and Profit
London‑based estate agency Dexters posted an 11% revenue increase to £247 million and a 10% profit rise to £52 million for the year to 30 September 2025. Growth was split between 9% organic expansion and acquisition‑driven gains, notably the Keatons purchase. Lettings revenue grew...
Caesars May Lose Rockets Bets If Fertitta’s Company Takes Over
Fertitta Entertainment, the Houston Rockets’ owner, is in talks to acquire Caesars Entertainment, a $5 billion market‑cap casino operator. If the deal closes, conflict‑of‑interest rules would force Caesars to drop all Rockets betting lines from its online and brick‑and‑mortar sportsbooks, echoing...
Multifamily Man: The Dermot Company’s Andrew Levison
Andrew Levison, who started buying small New Haven apartments after college, now serves as chief investment officer of The Dermot Company, a 35‑year‑old multifamily firm that manages roughly $5 billion in assets and over 7,500 units. Under his leadership Dermot has...
Exclusive: Mintoak Plans to Acquire Dubai-Based ICC Loyalty
Mintoak, the Mumbai‑based merchant SaaS platform, will raise Rs 80 crore in debt through non‑convertible debentures issued by BlackSoil to fund the acquisition of Dubai‑based loyalty‑tech firm ICC Loyalty. This marks the company’s second acquisition in twelve months, after buying Digiledge in...
Polus Capital Management Invests in Arqiva
Polus Capital Management has purchased a 26.54 percent stake in Arqiva from Macquarie, becoming the company’s largest external shareholder. Polus, which manages roughly $14 billion in assets, highlighted Arqiva’s role in the UK’s national communications backbone and its stable, sustainable growth trajectory....
Canva Adds Video to Its Pro Design Toolset and Steps up Its Enterprise Play
Canva closed 2025 with a $4 billion revenue run rate and a user base exceeding 265 million monthly active users. The company announced two strategic acquisitions—MangoAI, which automates video‑ad optimization, and Cavalry, a 2D animation platform—to broaden its pro‑design toolkit. Enterprise revenue...
Safra Group Closes Saxo Bank Takeover, Daniel Belfer Named CEO
J. Safra Sarasin Group has completed the purchase of a 71% stake in Copenhagen‑based Saxo Bank for €1.609 billion, after securing approvals from FINMA and the Danish regulator. The deal, initially announced in March 2025, was adjusted downward following a $50 million AML fine....
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‘Last Week Tonight’s John Oliver On Paramount Buying Warner Bros. Discovery: “Not Great News”
John Oliver mocked Paramount’s $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, a deal that outbid Netflix after the streaming giant raised its offer to $31 per share. The merger creates a media powerhouse combining Paramount’s film and TV assets with Warner’s extensive library...
Pantheon on the Charm of Smaller CVs
Pantheon’s Amyn Hassanally and Charlotte Morris argue that continuation vehicles are increasingly appealing to sponsors targeting small and mid‑cap companies. As more investors explore this structure, the pool of opportunities in the lower‑mid market deepens. The firm highlights that smaller...
QIC: Taking a No-Compromise Approach to CV Underwriting
QIC partner Zach Jackson stresses that secondary buyers must fully underwrite both the sponsor and the underlying asset when assessing continuation vehicle (CV) opportunities. The firm adopts a no‑compromise stance, insisting on comprehensive due diligence rather than relying on surface...
StepStone on Why CVs Will Stay on the Menu
StepStone Group executives Adam Johnston and Ted Black argue that continuation vehicles (CVs) continue to be a preferred exit option for private equity firms. They cite CVs’ ability to consistently outperform the broader buyout market as the primary driver. Even...
UBS: Secondaries Deal Growth Points to Depth of Demand
UBS reports a surge in secondary market activity, with general partners and limited partners bringing larger trophy assets and full portfolios to market. Deal sizes and transaction volumes have expanded markedly, reflecting deepening investor appetite for secondary exposure. Thomas Roche...
Kirkland & Ellis on the Art of Continuation Vehicle Negotiation
Kirkland & Ellis partners observe that GP‑led continuation vehicles have become increasingly standardized within the secondary market. Yet negotiations still reveal tension as secondary buyers apply M&A‑style rigor while sellers favor more flexible terms. The firm highlights the growing importance...
TPG on the Rise of Sector Specialism in CVs
TPG GP Solutions co‑managing partners Matt Jones and Michael Woolhouse say firms with deep sector expertise and direct underwriting are reshaping the single‑asset continuation vehicle (CV) market. They argue that specialist managers can price assets more accurately and execute faster...
Bernhard Capital: Regulated Utilities Provide Rich Font for Mid-Market Carve-Outs
Bernhard Capital Partners’ Jeff Jenkins highlights that regulated utilities are becoming a fertile source for mid‑market carve‑outs as the sector seeks capital for grid upgrades. Stable, predictable cash flows and strong credit profiles make these assets attractive to private‑equity firms...
Hellman & Friedman on the Art of the Exit
Hellman & Friedman CEO Patrick Healy says that even as distributions to limited partners remain sluggish, the firm can still close sizable sponsor exits. Healy highlights that strategic timing and asset positioning enable multi‑billion‑dollar exits despite a broader market slowdown....
SAG-AFTRA Chief Says Union Will Render Verdict on Warner Bros. Sale to Paramount ‘When the Time Is Right’ | Video
SAG-AFTRA executive director Duncan Crabtree‑Ireland told TheWrap the union is still evaluating Paramount Skydance’s acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery and will issue a formal verdict when the timing is right. The union’s media and labor‑economics team has been crunching data on each offer...
Quantum Computing Inc (QUBT) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
Quantum Computing Inc. posted Q4 2025 revenue of $190,000, up from $62,000, while narrowing its net loss to $1.6 million versus a $51.2 million loss a year earlier. The company raised $1.55 billion in 2025, ending the year with $1.52 billion in cash and...
Canva Denies Job Losses as Leonardo.AI Comes Into the Fold
Canva announced that it will integrate its recent AI acquisition, Leonardo.AI, into the main platform without any layoffs. The company refuted media reports suggesting redundancies, stating that the 150‑person Leonardo team will be reassigned to existing AI initiatives or new...
From Fear to Skepticism to Hope, Top Producers React to Paramount-Warner Bros. Merger at the PGA Awards
Hollywood’s top producers weighed in on the $110 billion Paramount‑Skydance acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery during the PGA Awards. Jerry Bruckheimer highlighted potential job losses but praised David Ellison’s commitment to a high‑volume theatrical slate. Jason Blum called the deal an...
UK Space Firm Skyrora Explores Buying Assets of Struggling Rival Orbex
Skyrora, a Glasgow‑based small‑satellite launch provider, announced a preliminary interest in acquiring select Orbex assets, including the Sutherland Spaceport, for up to £10 million. Orbex, the Inverness‑based micro‑launcher developer, entered administration after unsuccessful fundraising and merger attempts. The potential deal could...
LSI Industries to Buy Royston Group for $325M, Calls Deal “Transformational” For Retail Solutions Platform
LSI Industries announced a definitive agreement to acquire Royston Group for $325 million in cash and stock, a deal it describes as transformational for its retail‑solutions platform. The acquisition adds five U.S. manufacturing sites, boosting capacity by roughly 40 % and expanding...
Why Did Netflix Back Down From Its Deal to Acquire Warner Bros.?
Netflix withdrew its bid to raise the offer for Warner Bros. Discovery, clearing the path for Paramount Skydance to acquire the studio. The move followed a 30% drop in Netflix’s share price after the initial announcement and a 14% rally...
Crypto Treasury Companies Likely to Consolidate in 2026: Crypto Exec
Crypto treasury firms are poised to consolidate in 2026 as operating‑business players acquire distressed peers trading below net asset value. Companies that run validator services or issue tokenized credit generate cash flow, giving them a buying advantage. The 2025 market...
Youth Sports Is the Safest Investment in the World—Or Is It?
Youth sports is often portrayed as recession‑proof, yet costs have surged 46% while U.S. births fell about 15%, shrinking the entry pool. A modest 3% annual decline in new participants compounds to roughly a 30% reduction in the base cohort...
Hong Kong’s 2nd Richest Man Li Ka-Shing to Sell UK Electricity Operator for $14B
Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka‑shing's CK Infrastructure Group agreed to sell UK Power Networks to French utility Engie for £10.5 billion (about $14.2 billion). The deal, slated for mid‑2026, is part of a sweeping portfolio overhaul that includes potential divestments of ports and...
PARAMOUNT Wins US $110B Battle for Warner Bros, Pays NETFLIX Exit Fee
Paramount has agreed to acquire Warner Bros Discovery for $31 per share, valuing the combined enterprise at roughly $110 billion including debt. The deal also covers Netflix’s $2.8 billion termination fee, clearing the rival’s exit from the bidding war. If regulators approve,...
PTT Eyes Partners Across Value Chain
Thai state‑owned energy group PTT Plc announced it will seek external partners across its value chain, aiming to sell stakes in its oil‑refining and petrochemical subsidiaries—Thai Oil, PTT Global Chemical and IRPC—to global investors. The company also plans to attract...
Ocean of Capital Chasing Trains
The rail industry is experiencing a wave of liquidity as infrastructure funds, insurance companies, and private‑equity firms pour billions into railcar and locomotive financing. Traditional tax‑leveraged leases are being replaced by long‑horizon passive capital and CDO‑structured debt, reshaping the capital...
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Monroe Capital Corporation’s listed options will be adjusted following its proposed merger with Horizon Technology Finance Corporation. The OCC will change the option symbol from MRCC to HRZN1 and increase the contract multiplier from 1 to 100, meaning each contract...
A Major MVPD Merger Is Done: FCC OKs Charter-Cox Deal
The FCC’s Wireline Competition Bureau approved Charter Communications’ $34.5 billion acquisition of Cox Enterprises’ residential cable, fiber, and managed‑IT businesses. The deal, signed in May 2025, will rebrand the combined consumer offering under the Spectrum name while adopting the Cox corporate...
Botkeeper Infinite Acquired by Xendoo, Platform Will Live Again
Botkeeper Infinite has been revived after Xendoo acquired its AI assets and re‑established the platform as a distinct division. The acquisition follows a brief shutdown announced by CEO Enrico Palmerino, but the software remained live to give customers time to...
Chicago Industrial Is Having A Moment — Some Investors Want In
Chicago’s industrial market is demonstrating steady fundamentals, with vacancy holding at 4.6% in 2025 and leasing activity climbing to 40.5 million sq ft, while rents rose 4.6% to $8.97 per sq ft. Mid‑market investors Matterhorn and SparrowHawk each secured $300 million in equity, giving Matterhorn...
Co-CEO: Permian Resources Sees Opportunity in Expected Divestiture Wave
Permian Resources Corp. says a wave of asset divestitures is looming as large oil‑and‑gas players unwind recent mega‑deals, and the Midland‑based operator is ready to act. The company can comfortably spend up to $3 billion on acquisitions through 2027 without stretching...
First Brands to Sell Units That Produce Parts for Ford
First Brands Group, currently in a multi‑billion‑dollar bankruptcy, has identified four prospective buyers for its auto‑parts factories, three of which supply components to Ford Motor Co. Ford is prepaying for parts and administrative expenses, a move described by its counsel...
HVS Europe Hotel Transactions Bulletin Week Ending 20 February 2026
The HVS Europe Hotel Transactions Bulletin for the week ending 20 February 2026 lists a series of high‑profile hotel deals across the continent. Indian conglomerate SanRaj, via Clearsense Ventures, bought three Accor‑branded hotels in the UK (478 rooms) from Ares and EQ....