Jack Daniel’s Maker Brown-Forman Rejects $15 Billion Takeover Offer From Sazerac
Brown-Forman, the parent of Jack Daniel’s, turned down Sazerac’s $15 billion cash offer, equivalent to $32 per share. The bid, made by the New Orleans‑based spirits group, would have merged two of the largest U.S. whiskey producers. Brown‑Forman’s board, dominated by the founding family, said the proposal undervalued the company. The rejection leaves the market to wonder about alternative strategic options.
The TV Ad Market Is Being Taken Over by Streaming Platforms
Advertising dollars are rapidly moving from linear TV to streaming platforms. Madison and Wall estimate U.S. streaming ad spend will reach roughly $20 billion by 2029, closing the gap with traditional TV, which is projected to stay around $38 billion. The shift...
The Next Frontier for Hantavirus: Finding Vaccines and Treatments
A hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship has killed three people and sickened several others, marking the first documented person‑to‑person transmission of the disease. The strain’s heightened transmissibility has revived interest in vaccine and therapeutic candidates that were previously shelved...
Delivery Hero Shares Jump After Prosus Agrees to Sell Stake for $395 Million
Prosus has agreed to sell about 15.2 million Delivery Hero shares to Aspex Management for €335 million (≈$395 million). The transaction reduces Prosus’s holding and follows a prior 4.5 % stake sale to Uber linked to antitrust remedies for the Just Eat Takeaway acquisition. Delivery Hero’s stock...
A British Bookseller Rebuilds Barnes & Noble for a New Era
James Daunt, the British bookseller who turned Waterstones into a profitable chain, is now overhauling Barnes & Noble. He slashed 5,000 jobs during the pandemic and recently forced the entire corporate team to reapply, trimming a few dozen positions. The cost‑cutting...
China’s Cars Aren’t in the U.S., but Its Auto Parts Are Everywhere
Chinese firms have quietly built a massive footprint in the U.S. automotive supply chain, owning stakes in roughly 10,000 American parts suppliers. More than 60 of those suppliers are directly controlled by Chinese companies, ranging from air‑bag producers to glass...
Wacker Chemie Reaches Agreement to Cut Around 10% of Workforce
Wacker Chemie has reached a deal with employee representatives to eliminate roughly 1,600 positions in Germany, including 1,300 jobs at its Burghausen plant, by the end of 2027. The cuts are part of an efficiency program launched in October 2025...
U.K. Shop Visits Dip as Inflation Bites Into Spending
Retail footfall in the United Kingdom plunged in April, with main‑street shop visits down 9.2% and shopping‑centre traffic falling 10.1%. The British Retail Consortium reported a 10.7% year‑over‑year decline in shop visits, marking the weakest performance in over five years....
Advertising’s First Female CEO Isn’t Afraid to Fail
Cindy Rose, the first female chief executive of advertising giant WPP, is steering the company toward an AI‑driven model while slashing expenses and easing internal rivalries. After lavish Cannes Lions spending—$23 million on a private‑yacht‑based client experience—Rose is refocusing resources on...
Rupert Murdoch’s High-Stakes Blitz Against the NFL
Rupert Murdoch warned President Trump that expanding streaming rights for the NFL could cripple traditional broadcast networks. Fox, the league’s smallest broadcast partner, faces the prospect of losing game packages to deep‑pocketed streamers like Amazon and YouTube. The NFL is...
For 70 Years, Whirlpool Paid a Dividend. Suddenly It Can’t Afford One.
Whirlpool Corp., the century‑old appliance maker, announced it will suspend its quarterly dividend, ending a 70‑year streak of payouts. The decision follows a severe cash‑flow crunch that has left the company unable to fund both shareholder returns and debt obligations....
Corporate Card Startup Ramp Raising Funds at $40 Billion Valuation
Ramp, the corporate‑card and expense‑management startup, is raising $750 million in a new financing round that values the company at over $40 billion before the investment. Existing backers Iconiq Capital and Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund GIC are co‑leading the round, reflecting strong...
Selling Pot Is a Tough Business, but One California Company Is Beating the Odds
The Green Spot in Santa Cruz, California, has turned a seven‑year‑old cannabis dispensary into a profitable venture, generating roughly $3.5 million to $4 million in annual revenue with 5‑7% profit margins. Its grocery‑store‑style layout, pint‑size baskets and low‑key customer service make the...
EQT Raises Takeover Bid For Intertek Again
Swedish buyout group EQT has raised its takeover bid for Intertek to £58 per share, valuing the testing and certification firm at £8.93 bn (about $12.1 bn). The new offer represents a 54% premium over Intertek's April 9 closing price, improving on the...
The Secret Team Blowing Up Ford’s Assembly Line to Make a $30,000 Electric Truck
Ford is developing a $30,000 electric pickup that promises a 300‑mile range and a 2027 launch. A covert team of engineers performed 3 a.m. tests at the Allen Park plant, sidestepping normal procedures to accelerate development. The project merges Silicon Valley talent...