Perpetual rejected EQT AB's improved US$2.6 billion takeover proposal and ended engagement with the Swedish private-equity firm. In other financial news, Warren Buffett stepped down as Berkshire Hathaway chairman; his son Howard succeeds him, while Buffett remains on the board as chairman emeritus.

Societe Generale shares climbed 4% after the bank raised profitability targets through 2030, citing cost cuts and expanded AI use. Apartment landlords face a worsening $2 trillion debt problem as record borrowings at low rates meet rising interest costs. A new report on the SVB collapse, commissioned by Michelle Bowman, blamed Fed bank-supervision staff from the Biden era.

Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong was central to debates over digital assets in mainstream finance. Polymarket CEO Shayne Coplan dismissed fraud concerns involving stolen debit cards as the firm bolsters its executive ranks ahead of a potential IPO. Stablecoin company Bastion, a partner for Sony, received conditional OCC approval to operate as a trust bank. Meanwhile, Ant International-backed Mynt secured approval for the Philippines' largest-ever IPO. New bank charter approvals surged, with 21 of 40 applications approved by the Comptroller of the Currency over 18 months. Christine Lagarde intervened to block Binance from operating in the EU, while Mastercard joined Visa in enabling AI-driven shopping agents.