Canadian Unicorn Sale Highlights Capital Drain to U.S., Abu Dhabi
Calgary-based tech unicorn CoolIT is speculated to be for sale for more than $3 billion. All of this value creation from this Canadian business will go to the U.S. (KKR) and Abu Dhabi (Mubadala). Sadly, this is par for the course for Canadian businesses, as the country lacks the requisite risk capital to fund innovative startups and entrepreneurs.
DTC and Influencers Can Outpace Wholesale Dramatically
MVMT went from $1M to $60M in revenue in just 2 years using DTC and influencer marketing. No retail stores. Got acquired by Movado for $300M. Meanwhile you're still chasing wholesale deals. That's the gap.
Axel Springer Unlikely to Pursue Big Deals, WSJ Stays Murdoch
NEW @PuckNews: On heels of Telegraph acquisition, Mathias Döpfner told charges that Axel Springer was unlikely to make more big acquisitions in near future, noting that Murdochs were unlikely to sell The Wall Street Journal, which Springer couldn’t afford anyway. https://t.co/1NKCcK3NXz
AI-Powered Merger Arbitrage Superforecaster Launched with GPT‑5.4
Balyasny has built an AI agent called Merger Arbitrage Superforecaster, with GPT‑5.4 as its reasoning engine. Merger arbitrage is one segment of investing that greatly benefits from AI. https://t.co/kQPsOW5Ww3
Construction Stocks Squeezed by Takeover Rumors and Regulatory Scrutiny
Stop scrolling if you hold construction equities. Takeover rumors are actively destroying contract values right now. 1. MACC probe costs IJM a data center deal 2. MoF intercepts Sunway takeover of IJM 3. State funds clash over MRCB mega-merger Detailed Breakdown ↓↓↓ #BursaMalaysia #Equities
Malaysia Sees Major Corporate and Legal Shifts
Major Business News on March 6, 2026: 1. Court of Appeal to rule on RM1.7b pensioners payout 2. Ekovest secures 54-year highway concession 3. Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani nears mandatory offer threshold 4. Datuk Tiong King Sing exits Timberwell at RM12.8 million Source: The...
Ellison Doubts Shell, Predicts His Exit Post‑merger
NEW @PuckNews: David Ellison has lost faith in Jeff Shell and sources believe he is unlikely to survive at Paramount past its merger with Warner Bros. Discovery. https://t.co/fSCgcW4ews
Servier Spends $2.5B to Expand Cancer Pipeline
Servier to build cancer drug pipeline with $2.5B purchase of Day One https://t.co/aH0z8jt9tr by @realJacobBell $DAWN #biotech
Jeff Shultz Leads Radial’s Content Library Expansion
Radial Entertainment Shops for Content Libraries as Pluto TV and Paramount Alum Jeff Shultz Takes Over as CEO https://t.co/sLDEtVhxNj via @variety
Sell During Strong Growth, Not Market Uncertainty
We spend a lot of time at Vista Point walking founders through the considerations around WHEN to pursue a liquidity event. While external factors like the state of your vertical market are certainly important to consider, the first and foremost...
Servier's $2.5B DAWN Deal Closes Ojemda Saga
$DAWN acquisition by Servier for $2.5bn is quite the ending for Ojemda. Who remembers this RAF inhibitor's bizarre & convoluted history? $BIIB $TAK https://t.co/uD5drO9ymr
Compass Merger Triggers 110 Layoffs; Anywhere HQ Available
If you work for #Anywhere in #MadisonNJ, you might want to polish up your resume. Merger w/#Compass costs 110 jobs at combined #brokerage giant. 270KSF Anywhere HQ up for lease. #realestate #MandA #mortgage #NJ #layoffs #JLL #RobertReffkin https://t.co/4SsKTtsrg2
Byron Allen Buys 10.7% of Starz for $25M
Byron Allen Acquires 10.7% Stake in Starz From Steve Mnuchin’s Investment Firm for $25 Million https://t.co/uuDK84OBQW via @variety
German Right‑wing Group Axel Springer Acquires UK Telegraph
The German Murdoch (no longer with New York right-winger Dovod Efune) buys the Telegraph. Expect it to invade America alongside Springer's Politico & Business Insider. Just what we need: more right-wing media. Axel Springer buys Telegraph in £575m deal https://t.co/T3uAE3VSvY
Axel Springer Snags Telegraph, Undermines RedBird‑IMI Deal
SCOOP: AXEL Springer to buy Telegraph, gate crashing an earlier deal RedBird IMI had with the Daily Mail. With dream team @DanielThomasLDN @ArashMassoudi https://t.co/JXU4G9iMuj
Croatti Family Blocks UNF Deal Despite Activist Pressure
$UNF $CTAS rumor mill is back in action. Consider me highly skeptical, this is bound to fail again. Since 2022, UNF has rejected every single approach, including the latest one in December 2025. Now rumors suggest that CTAS is willing to raise its...
Japanese Builders Accelerate U.S. Homebuilder Acquisitions
Japan’s big bet on the U.S. housing market got even bigger last week Japanese builders are rapidly acquiring U.S. homebuilders—now Daiwa House is buying United Homes That came just 10 days after Japan-based Sumitomo Forestry said it's buying Tri Point Homes...
Denso's ¥1.3T Rohm Offer Seen as Undervalued
*DENSO MADE BUYOUT OFFER TO ROHM, DEAL SEEN ABOUT ¥1.3T: NIKKEI Did not fact check attached, but assuming AI overlord is correct on the valuation of Toshiba stake + Prefs, this 1.3T takeover price looks way too low. I'm all for...
Find Burnt‑Out Profitable Owners Ready to Seller‑Finance
There are businesses generating $600K profit right now with owners who: • Haven’t had a holiday in 3 years • Have no succession plan • Would seller-finance the whole deal just to escape You just need to know how to find them and what...
Merger News Drives Entertainment Earnings Conversation
What’s News in Earnings: Merger News Dominates the Entertainment Business -- @benfritz and I discuss quarterly results and challenges ahead. https://t.co/sZopc3Z4Bf
High Broker Fees Signal a Business Acquisition Attempt
If a broker charges rates in line with Realtors, say 5 or 6% then they likely are trying to ‘buy business.’- How to Sell my own Business https://t.co/l2EObkfURN https://t.co/Jq7DIDeNGv
TNT Secures Exclusive U.S. FIBA Rights Amid Merger Uncertainty
This is exactly the type of deal I discuss in today's newsletter ... will a Paramount/WBD merged company do these smaller sports rights deals anymore? The calculus will definitely change for TNT ... https://t.co/DvKzUkqcDr
Hollywood Execs Prioritize Cost Cuts over Creative Talent
After Hollywood turned on David Zaslav for being too much of a bean counter/financier, I’m sure The Town will appreciate David Ellison’s answer to being asked how many layoffs are coming w/ merging w/ WBD: “We absolutely need to rationalize the...
Goldman Banker Hides Employer; Barclays Banker Doesn’t.
The Goldman banker was smart enough not to let them print that he works there. The Barclays banker though... https://t.co/XQUyhDbCNS
Merger Threats Undermine TNT Sports Strategy and Leadership
This week’s CNBC Sport newsletter is out: *Why TNT Sports’ strategy no longer makes sense if WBD & Paramount come together *Jeff Shell’s future up in the air *There will be no David Ellison/David Zaslav “men in blazers” photo on the...
Pasqal‑Bleichroeder Deal Targets $2B Valuation by 2026
Pasqal / Bleichroeder Acquisition II deal overview Quantum computing company $2.0 billion enterprise value Closing H2 2026 PR: https://t.co/Y8kjd8LJdO IR deck: https://t.co/27uxUkWA9t Disclosure: Long $BBCQ shares + warrants in $ARB.to https://t.co/EfgkoWpFiI
Five Unexpected Companies That Could Acquire PayPal
Who Should Acquire PayPal? 5 Potential Acquirers Nobody’s Talking About PayPal is now considered to be a prime acquisition target. Who besides Stripe would be a good acquirer? Here are 5 potential candidates. Try to keep an open mind. https://t.co/rrD4BdDrG8
Activists Target SEER at 60% Cash, 35% Upside
Activists close in on a net-net trading at ~60% of cash - $SEER trades at $1.83/shr vs ~$3/shr in net cash - Founder lost super-voting control in Dec ’25 - Now activists (7.6%) are pushing for a sale - Board is declassified and up...
Skipping Due Diligence: A Straightforward Legal Mistake
Nah. It was cut-and-dried law. He signed the deal and chose not to do the due diligence.
UP‑NS Merger's 2 M Truckload Claim Is Negligible
Union Pacific claims that’s its merger with NS would take 2m truckloads off the road each year. That is approx 6k trucks in total, roughly equivalent to Prime’s fleet. Pretty inconsequential in the big scheme of things.
Netflix CFO Confident Regulatory Approval for Warner Acquisition
"We had high confidence" of getting through regulatory, says Netflix CFO Spencer Neumann on pursuit of Warner's studios and streaming operations.
Tencent Buys 15% of Arrowhead Amid Meme Backlash
Tencent took a 15 percent stake in Arrowhead Game Studios. Some players starting lashing out at a recent Chinese New Year cosmetics bundle with a certain meme that was quickly banned on the Discord.
Reservoir Media Bids Offer $10.50 Cash per Share
M&A….Reservoir Media ( RSVR) .. received “bids” from several firms with $10.50 cash from largest holders
Selling Your Business Can Accelerate Its Growth
Selling your business may be the best way to help it grow. Hear what Smita Bakshi, co-founder of zyBooks, has to say on the matter: https://lnkd.in/efcrW6dN #mergersandacquisitions #startupexits #investmentbanking #saasfounders #software #saas #tech #founders #pathtoexit
Vendor Financing Aligns Seller Interest via Business Collateral
Case Study: Effective Vendor Financing in Business Acquisitions This topic was highlighted by a question from Tomo, a follower intrigued by the mechanics behind vendor take-back notes. Challenge: When purchasing a business with vendor financing, one of the key concerns for both...
Caesars Sale Rumors Spark Share Jump Amid Low Valuation
Famed casino operator back in play? - $CZR reportedly exploring a sale after takeover interest incl. Tilman Fertitta - Shares +20% on the news but still near 5yr lows - Trades ~8x Adj. EBITDA - Some room for improved bid, but ~$30B EV vs...
CP Axtra's RM1.66B Deal Consolidates Malaysia's Grocery Market
The Malaysian grocery landscape just changed forever. 🚨 Thai retail giant CP Axtra (the power behind Lotus’s) is officially acquiring 100% of The Food Purveyor for RM1.66 billion. 💰 By Q4 2026, the group will control 120 stores nationwide, blending the scale...
All3Media Merger Unites “The Traitors,” “MasterChef,” “Peaky Bl
Banijay’s Marco Bassetti and Jeff Zucker on the Surprise All3Media Merger That Puts ‘The Traitors,’ ‘MasterChef’ and ‘Peaky Blinders’ Under the Same Roof https://t.co/zM40xh5TTV via @variety
Software Buyout Lending Shows Near‑zero Default
No wonder direct lending to software buyouts was so popular. Out of 300+ loans that Blue Owl has made since inception, only one has defaulted. That one loan was to finance Vista Equity's $3.5 billion buyout of Pluralsight in 2021. Blue Owl...
Paramount/WBD Deal Likely Survives, Lawsuit Threat Looms
Antitrust experts don't see Paramount/WBD deal getting blocked by DOJ or abroad, but any lengthy probes abroad could buy state AGs time to assemble a lawsuit — Will they have a legit enough antitrust case to win in court? Uphill battle. @axios https://t.co/czZPajmweE
Deal Sets Us Up as DTC Market Leader
David Ellison: “This deal positions us to be one of the leading competitors in the DTC space, to really accelerate our growth and to achieve scale in DTC… It is a primary goal for the business.”
Company Sells OpCo, Returns 90% Proceeds, Exceeds Market Cap
Sale followed by a large capital return - Co selling its entire OpCo while returning 90% of the proceeds to shareholders - Distributions alone exceed the co's current mcap - Plus you get a RemainCo with meaningful net cash and a small growth...
Trump Antitrust Division Unlikely to Block Paramount‑Warner Merger
The Trump Antitrust Division will likely not bring charges to block the Paramount-Warner merger. https://t.co/yh0yoJNUUF
Boring Success Gets 120 Views, Steak Grilling Gets Millions
There's an interview with a guy who quit his job and, with no prior experience, raised a $95 million to acquire 13+ "boring" niche businesses. Less than 120 views. Meanwhile, a gentleman grilling a wasabi-marinated A5 wagyu steak has over 7.5...
Banijay and All3Media Merge Into Multi‑billion‑dollar Powerhouse
Banijay and All3Media Strike Merger Deal to Form Multi-Billion Dollar Production Group https://t.co/S2DGE01t3X via @variety
Thales Space Targets 7% EBIT Margin Amid Merger
.@thalesgroup: @Thales_Alenia_S rev rose 7.6% in 2025, on pace for 7%+ EBIT margin in 2027; merger w/ @AirbusSpace & @LDO_Space on track; @industriAll_EU unions pose conditions for accepting the deal. @esa @defis_eu.https://t.co/GarzC7tTBf https://t.co/8oHhgoms52
New Data‑Driven LOI Template Boosts Lower‑Middle‑Market Deal Success
We just released our 2026 Lower-Middle-Market LOI Template. Built from 500+ deals and $1.6B+ in closed (and busted) transactions. It’s designed to reduce retrades, surface deal killers early, and increase close probability. Download it here: https://smblaw.group/services/mergers-and-acquisitions Scroll to the middle of the page to access...
Pick the Right Sale Type for Your Exit Goals
How much of your business do you want to sell? Should you pursue a minority, majority, or full sale transaction? Founders looking to exit or raise capital have to decide which is the best path to achieve your goals, both...
Arab Sovereign Funding Spurs Soft Power Concerns in $110B Deal
Paramount’s $110 Billion Warner Bros. Deal Backed by Arab Sovereign Funds Raises Soft Power Concerns https://t.co/YAzJc52Fgq
All-Stars Debate Paramount-WBD Future, Sarandos, Zaslav Legacy
🎙️ 🎙️ NEW POD: Puck all-stars @MattBelloni & @WilliamCohan debate David Ellison’s existential Paramount-WBD challenge, Ted Sarandos’ next play, and the legacy of David Zaslav… this is a fun one… Apple: https://t.co/FhmAiCfP7H Spotify: https://t.co/skJZmlCppk @PuckNews