M&A News and Headlines

Why eBay’s Depop Acquisition Matters More Than the Earnings Beat

eBay’s recent earnings beat was eclipsed by its strategic purchase of Depop, the Gen‑Z‑focused resale platform. The $1.6 billion acquisition expands eBay’s mobile‑first, social commerce capabilities and adds a youthful user base. Analysts note that Depop’s rapid growth and strong community...

Extreme Hospitality Adds The Franklin on Rittenhouse to Portfolio

Extreme Hospitality has incorporated The Franklin on Rittenhouse, a 20‑room boutique lifestyle hotel in Center City Philadelphia, into its managed portfolio. The property boasts individually decorated guestrooms and a Prohibition‑themed speakeasy, the Franklin Mortgage & Investment Company, reflecting a rebellious...

Flipping the Script: Inside DealMAX with GF Data’s Ruben Burke and Ryan McCann

GF Data’s senior leaders Ruben Burke and Ryan McCann joined the Inside DealMAX podcast to discuss how the Las Vegas conference is reshaping engagement between data providers and middle‑market dealmakers. They previewed GF Data’s Q4 2025 findings, highlighting a 30%...

Media Deals Value Surges to $250 Billion Last Year, Driven by Netflix-Warner Bros., Premium Content

Media M&A value surged to nearly $250 billion in 2025, more than double the prior year, even as deal count fell 10.1 %. The jump was anchored by two mega‑transactions: Netflix’s $82.7 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery and a $55 billion take‑private of Electronic Arts....

Ampyr Solar Europe Acquires UK Solar Farm Project

Ampyr Solar Europe announced it has acquired the East Yorkshire Solar Farm from BOOM Power, a 530 MWp photovoltaic project that will supply electricity to roughly 100,000 households. The farm, classified as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project, received its Development Consent...

CHS Could Slow Pace of Divestitures as It Makes Progress Paying Debt

Community Health Systems (CHS) announced it will decelerate its aggressive divestiture program as it focuses on strengthening core markets. The for‑profit hospital chain has cut its debt leverage to 6.6× in 2025, down from 7.4× the year before, and boosted...

Pure Treats Buys Primal Pet Foods From Private-Equity Owners

Pure Treats, the Montreal‑based pet‑snack maker behind PureBites and PureSnacks, announced the acquisition of rival Primal Pet Foods from Kinderhook Industries. The purchase price was not disclosed. The deal brings Primal’s freeze‑dried and frozen food lines and its manufacturing plants...

Ascentis Wealth Buys Newly Launched Practice In Dallas With $250M AUM

Salesforce Acquires Momentum: What It Means

The episode breaks down Salesforce’s acquisition of Momentum, a revenue‑orchestration startup that transforms unstructured voice and video conversations into structured CRM data and automated workflows via Agentforce 360 and Slackbot. It explains how this move lets Salesforce own the "ground truth"...

First Gen to Take 40% Stake in Prime Infra’s 2GW Pumped Storage Portfolio

First Gen Corporation will acquire a 40% equity stake in Prime Infrastructure Capital’s pumped‑storage portfolio for roughly 75 billion pesos ($1.34 bn). The deal covers the 600 MW Wawa project in Rizal and the 1.4 GW Ahunan (Pakil) project in Laguna, together delivering 2 GW...

Ericsson Set for MWC26; Meta Mega-Deal; Vodafone Dutch Sale

Meta Platforms signed a multiyear, multibillion‑dollar agreement with Nvidia to install millions of AI processors for both training and inference, including confidential‑computing GPUs for WhatsApp. Vodafone Group sold its 50% stake in Dutch joint venture VodafoneZiggo to Liberty Global for...

Bulgaria Court Confirms United Group’s Bulsatcom Infrastructure Deal Not Subject to Merger Notification

Bulgaria’s Supreme Administrative Court has upheld the competition authority’s view that United Group’s purchase of Bulsatcom’s telecom infrastructure does not constitute a notifiable concentration under Bulgarian law. The decision dismisses appeals from A1 Bulgaria, Yettel Bulgaria and CETIN Bulgaria, confirming...

Stories of the Week: Unemployment, Industry Consolidation, and Semi-Liquid Funds

This week’s investment roundup highlighted three interlinked themes: a resurgence in unemployment, accelerating consolidation among asset‑management firms, and a surge in semi‑liquid fund inflows. Unemployment edged to 5.2% in Q4 2025, prompting managers to boost cash buffers and reassess risk models....

Splash Wrap: ZIM Sale Tops the Agenda

A $4.2 bn transaction will see Germany’s Hapag‑Lloyd acquire Israeli carrier ZIM, then spin off its Israeli operations into a new entity controlled by FIMI. The deal, which preserves 16 vessels for direct Israeli routes, triggered protests and a strike as...

First Citizens, Buyer Of Collapsed SVB, Weighs Another Target

PSKY Clears DOJ Hurdle

Paramount Skydance (PSKY) has satisfied the DOJ’s second request, causing the 10‑day Hart‑Scott‑Rodino waiting period to expire. The filing notes that no statutory barrier remains to close a potential acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), but a definitive merger agreement...

DNOW Inc (DNOW) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript

DNOW completed its merger with MRC Global on November 6, creating a larger, diversified distributor platform. Full‑year 2025 revenue rose 19% to $2.8 billion, and fourth‑quarter adjusted EBITDA reached $61 million, reflecting a 6.4% margin. The integration added $388 million of stub‑period revenue and...

Lamar Advertising Co (LAMR) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript

Lamar Advertising reported Q4 2025 acquisition‑adjusted revenue growth of over 4%, driven by a 6% surge in December and continued digital expansion. Adjusted EBITDA rose 3.7% to $288.9 million, lifting margin to 48.5%, while diluted AFFO per share reached $2.24 and...

‘Having a “Human” Bank Is Very Important’: A Conversation with Citi CEO Jane Fraser

Citi CEO Jane Fraser emphasized that a "human" bank remains essential despite rapid digitalization. She highlighted Citi's strategy of blending technology with personal relationships to deepen client trust and improve outcomes. Fraser cited recent investments in employee training, AI‑augmented advisory...

The Dating Game: Why a CapitaLand-Mapletree Merger Could Turn Into a Marriage of Inconvenience

CapitaLand Investment reported a S$142 million H2 2025 loss, largely due to a drag from its China portfolio, while teasing a possible merger with Mapletree Investments. The combined entity could command roughly S$200 billion in assets, creating a headline‑grabbing real‑estate behemoth. However, the...

Hulking Wilmington Office Slated For Resi Conversion Following Life Sciences Firm's Exit

Buccini Pollin Group has purchased the 500,000‑square‑foot Bracebridge office complex from life‑sciences firm Incyte, announcing a mixed‑use redevelopment that will add residential units above ground‑level office and retail. Incyte will retain an 80,000‑square‑foot lease, while the developer aims to finish construction...

PMG To Build Another Supertall Next To Waldorf Astoria

Property Markets Group (PMG) announced a 90‑story, 985‑foot Delano‑branded condo tower at 400 Biscayne Blvd., adjacent to its 1,096‑foot Waldorf Astoria development in downtown Miami. The 421‑unit project will launch sales in March with prices starting at $800,000, offering studios...

Scale Computing Expands Edge Portfolio with Adaptiv Networks Deal

Scale Computing announced the acquisition of Canadian SD‑WAN and SASE provider Adaptiv Networks, integrating its cloud‑native networking stack into Scale’s SC//AcuVigil managed services. The deal, terms undisclosed, adds built‑in connectivity and centralized orchestration for distributed sites, targeting retail, hospitality and...

Qiddiya-Owned RTS Takes Control of Evolution Championship Series

Qiddiya City’s esports subsidiary RTS has acquired the remaining stake in the Evolution Championship Series (EVO) after India‑based NODWIN Gaming sold its equity. The transaction, whose financial terms were not disclosed, makes RTS the sole owner of the premier fighting‑game...

Hims & Hers Acquires Australian Digital Health Eucalyptus for Up to $1.15B

Hims & Hers Health announced a definitive agreement to acquire Australian digital‑health firm Eucalyptus for up to $1.15 billion, with $240 million paid in cash and the balance structured as deferred and earn‑out payments. Eucalyptus, founded in 2019, serves more than 775,000...

SolarPower Europe’s New Hybrid Solar + BESS Due Diligence Reports Seek to Ensure ‘Long-Term Technical Excellence’

SolarPower Europe unveiled two technical due‑diligence reports aimed at utility‑scale hybrid solar‑PV and battery energy storage projects. The “Technical Due Diligence Best Practice Guidelines” and the third‑edition EPC Best‑Practice Guidelines provide a lifecycle framework covering planning, construction, operation and decommissioning,...

Obesity Biotech Verdiva Plans Big Year of Data, Explores Deals

Verdiva Bio, an obesity‑focused biotech, is gearing up for a data‑heavy 2026, with Phase 2 results for its lead long‑acting peptide slated for the third quarter. The company is also courting strategic partnerships, eyeing potential deals with major pharma players after...

Wendy’s Is ‘Undervalued’ and Could Face Takeover by Nelson Peltz

Activist investor Nelson Peltz, through Trian Fund Management, has filed with the SEC stating Wendy’s is significantly undervalued and signaling possible actions, including buying more shares to gain control or divesting his stake. The fast‑food chain’s stock has slumped about...

Visa to Buy Prisma in Argentina

Visa announced it will reacquire Argentina’s Prisma Medios de Pago and Newpay from Advent International, bringing the payment processors back under its control. The acquisition, expected to close by the end of March, restores Visa’s card‑issuer processing, real‑time payments, ATM...

2 Sisters’ Owner Expands Poultry Presence with Germany Acquisition

2 Sisters Food Group, through Boparan Private Office, has acquired German turkey and chicken processor Heidemark for an undisclosed amount. Heidemark, which generates roughly €760 m in annual sales and employs 2,300 staff across five sites, will operate under the Storteboom...

Getty Images / Shutterstock Merger Inquiry

The UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has moved the Getty Images‑Shutterstock merger into Phase 2, issuing an interim report that identifies competition concerns in the supply of editorial content within the United Kingdom. The regulator concluded that the global stock‑image...

Senate Democrats Threaten Paramount-Warner Probe

Senate Democrats are intensifying pressure on Paramount CEO David Ellison after he refused an in‑person antitrust hearing on the proposed takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery. The senators, led by Chuck Schumer and Cory Booker, accused Ellison of a "pattern of...

Scopely Acquires Majority Stake in Pixel Flow Team at $1B Valuation

Scopely announced a majority‑stake acquisition of Istanbul‑based Loom Games, the studio behind the mobile puzzle title Pixel Flow, at a valuation exceeding $1 billion. Pixel Flow, launched in late 2025, has already attracted more than ten million players worldwide. The financial...

Blackbird-Backed Telehealth Startup Eucalyptus Sells for $1.6 Billion to US Listed Rival

Australian telehealth startup Eucalyptus is being acquired by NYSE‑listed Hims & Hers for $1.15 bn, valuing the company at A$1.6 bn. The deal includes an upfront $240 m payment and deferred cash or stock plus earn‑out provisions through 2029. Eucalyptus reports an ARR north...

MCR Property Group Launches £360m Flow Student Platform

MCR Property Group has unveiled Flow Student, a purpose‑built student accommodation platform valued at £360 million in gross development value. The platform currently operates roughly 6,000 beds across six UK cities and aims to reach 15,000 beds – a £1 billion portfolio...

RaceTrac: Don't Expect a Potbelly in Every Convenience Store

RaceTrac bought Potbelly for $566 million but will not install a sandwich shop in every convenience store. Senior vice‑president Jennifer Durham says the rollout will be selective, starting with a pilot company‑owned location in Atlanta. The acquisition’s core purpose is to...

Loan Note: Carlyle’s Sidhu on the European Opportunity; Configure Highlights Mixed M&A Picture

Carlyle’s Taj Sidhu expressed optimism about Europe’s private‑debt market, citing strong borrower resilience and attractive financing conditions. He highlighted low‑interest‑rate environments and a growing pipeline of mid‑market deals as catalysts for continued asset growth. Meanwhile, Configure’s latest M&A snapshot described...

Freshfields Advising EBay's $1.2B Depop Purchase From Etsy

eBay announced a $1.2 billion cash acquisition of Depop, the mobile fashion resale platform, from Etsy. Freshfields LLP is advising eBay, while Fenwick & West represents Etsy. The deal aims to strengthen eBay’s appeal to younger, Gen‑Z shoppers and expand its...

UK Raises Antitrust Concerns In Getty's Shutterstock Deal

Getty Images announced a $3.7 billion acquisition of Shutterstock, aiming to create a global leader in stock photography. The UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has issued a provisional assessment that the merger could restrict the supply of editorial images in...

Sony Music France Acquires Paris-Based Indie Label and Publishing Company Spookland

Sony Music Group France announced the acquisition of Spookland, a Paris‑based independent label and publishing company best known for representing French singer‑songwriter Jain. The deal, whose financial terms were undisclosed, transfers recorded‑music and publishing rights, as well as the full...

Procedural Complaints: Raising Procedural Issues in CMA Cases

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) provides an independent Procedural Officer and, for newer regimes, a Procedural Complaints Adjudicator to resolve procedural disputes in competition, merger, digital markets and consumer enforcement cases. Parties must apply within five working days after...

Banks that Won on Deposit Growth in 2025 Got Boost From M&A

Regional banks with $10‑$100 billion in assets leveraged mergers and acquisitions to outpace the broader market in 2025, boosting core deposits by more than 8% versus the industry’s 4% average. The 27 midsize lenders that completed deals saw a collective 29%...

Covetrus to Merge with Cencora’s MWI Animal Health in a $3.5B Deal

Covetrus and Cencora have signed a definitive agreement to merge Covetrus with MWI Animal Health, creating a unified animal‑health platform valued at $3.5 billion. Cencora will receive $1.25 billion in cash, $800 million of preferred equity and $1.45 billion of common equity, securing a...

Nestlé Bets on Four Key Categories as It Separates Ice Cream

Nestlé reported 3.5% organic growth for 2025, with real internal growth rising 0.8% and free cash flow reaching CHF 9.2 bn. CEO Philipp Navratil outlined a sharpened portfolio strategy centered on coffee, petcare, nutrition and food‑&‑snacks, while preparing to spin off the remaining...

NRW's Diversification Drive Pays Off

NRW Holdings announced that its acquisition of Fredon Industries for $200 million is driving a significant upgrade to its FY2025‑26 outlook. The diversified service capabilities are expected to boost revenue guidance by roughly 12% and lift earnings per share by about...

CFC Owners Said to Tap Banks for Sale, IPO of £5 Billion Insurer

Private equity firms EQT AB and Vitruvian Partners have engaged Evercore and Goldman Sachs to explore a sale or initial public offering of cyber insurer CFC, targeting a valuation around £5 billion. The advisers are assessing both London and New York as...

The Pulse of Private Equity – 2/16/2026

Technology private equity deal activity surged in 2026, with total deal value climbing 67.4% year‑over‑year while the number of transactions rose a modest 13.4%. The gap between value and count indicates that firms are executing larger, mega‑cap deals rather than...

Q4: Omnicom’s IPG Merger Is An AI Test Case

Omnicom reported Q4 results after closing its $13.5 billion acquisition of Interpublic Group, positioning AI as the chief growth driver for the merged firm. The company highlighted its Omni platform, now integrated with Acxiom’s Real ID and Flywheel’s Commerce Cloud, to...

Q4: Omnicom’s IPG Merger Is An AI Test Case

Omnicom reported its first earnings after completing the $13.5 billion acquisition of IPG, positioning AI as the core growth engine for the combined firm. The company highlighted its Omni platform, now linked with Acxiom’s Real ID and Flywheel’s Commerce Cloud, to...