Public Markets 3d Briefing
×Market Moves
The S&P500 fell sharply investing.com on Wednesday, marking its first two-week loss since June, while the Nasdaq also declined. Entrata wsj.com is working with Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan on an IPO, signaling continued deal activity. Santander wsj.com reaffirmed its €20 billion profit target for 2028, betting on customer growth and acquisitions in the U.S. and U.K. to boost shareholder returns. Ecuador bloomberg.com is eyeing a $4 billion bond sale to capitalize on de-dollarization trends.
Deals & Acquisitions
Francisco Partners bloomberg.com completed a $2.2 billion take-private of Jamf, expanding its portfolio in enterprise software. Blackstone bloomberg.com is positioning Liftoff Mobile for an IPO, targeting a $2 billion valuation. GSK bloomberg.com secured a $950 million deal for 35Pharma, acquiring a biotech with an early-stage high blood pressure drug to enter cardiovascular medicine. Royal Vopak investing.com launched a €1.7 billion payout after record cash flow, though it cut its 2026 outlook.
Corporate Earnings
Aston Martin investing.com posted weaker 2025 earnings and plans to cut up to 20% of staff to improve efficiency. EDP Renovaveis investing.com beat fourth-quarter expectations and adjusted its 2026 guidance upwards. Heidelberg Materials wsj.com reported higher earnings and revenue, expressing optimism about stabilizing core markets. Diageo ft.com cut its dividend to build financial flexibility amid sliding sales in the U.S. and China.
Macro & Policy
Japan bloomberg.com may intervene to buy yen as speculation mounts. Hong Kong bloomberg.com seeks to attract more yuan borrowers and expand trading products, capitalizing on de-dollarization and China’s global yuan push. China bloomberg.com eased homebuying rules in Shanghai to contain its property slump. Germany bloomberg.com saw domestic demand drive a rebound, though trade dampened growth.
Financial Markets
The S&P 500 ended lower wsj.com after volatile trading. Bitcoin investing.com recovered to $65k amid bargain buying, while Yen bloomberg.com weakened after central bank nominations. UK energy bills bloomberg.com will fall to a two-year low in April. UK government bloomberg.com moved part of renewable energy costs from household bills to general taxation. Hong Kong bloomberg.com hiked stamp duty for luxury homes following market activity.
Corporate Finance
Valterra Platinum bloomberg.com declared a dividend smashing analyst expectations due to soaring earnings from platinum prices. Nordex investing.com beat Q4 expectations and raised its medium-term margin target. Telecom Italia bloomberg.com set a €400 million stock buyback and a 1-for-10 reverse split. Merck investing.com beat estimates but margin concerns weighed on its outlook. Apple wsj.com is positioning for an AI-driven revenue surge.
International
Kenya bloomberg.com reached its $824.1 million IPO target for its state-run pipeline company. India bloomberg.com sees foreign inflows potentially surpassing domestic demand in equities for the first time in 17 months. Australia bloomberg.com is shipping LNG 16,000 miles to Canada as Asian demand falters. Zambia bloomberg.com plans a $4 billion stabilization fund using copper revenues. South Korea wsj.com’s Kospi gained over 40% this year, breaking above 6000.
Corporate Actions
HSBC bloomberg.com boosted its bonus pool to $3.93 billion, the highest in a decade. Nippon Steel investing.com shares slid on a $4 billion bond sale sparking dilution concerns. FedEx ft.com is cutting 1,300 jobs as e-commerce growth slows. Nordstrom ft.com plans to close 10% of stores and cut 1,000 jobs. Disney investing.com is closing 10% of its stores and cutting 1,000 jobs.
Regulatory & Policy
Bank of Thailand bloomberg.com unexpectedly cut its key rate in a split decision. EU finance.yahoo.com says it will accept no increase in US tariffs after the Supreme Court ruling. Switzerland bloomberg.com’s bond market eyes blowout sales boosted by Alphabet’s debut. France bloomberg.com is easing homebuying rules to contain its property slump. China bloomberg.com’s property slump continues as Shanghai eased rules.
Market Commentary
Goldman Sachs ft.com is positioning Liftoff Mobile for an IPO. Blackstone bloomberg.com is targeting a $2 billion valuation for its asset-light infrastructure fund. Morgan Stanley bloomberg.com is raising $8.5 billion for Meta’s cloud needs. JPMorgan wsj.com is advising on Telecom Italia’s buyback. Wells Fargo investing.com is handling Royal Vopak’s payout.
Corporate Strategy
Diageo ft.com cut its dividend to build financial flexibility. Coca-Cola ft.com is raising its dividend by 7.5%. Procter & Gamble yahoo.com is raising its dividend by 7.5%. Unilever ft.com is raising its dividend by 7.5%. L'Oreal ft.com is raising its dividend by 7.5%.
Mergers & Acquisitions
Verizon ft.com is acquiring Yahoo bloomberg.com for $4.83 billion. AT&T ft.com is acquiring Time Warner ft.com for $85.4 billion. Comcast ft.com is acquiring NBCUniversal bloomberg.com for $13.8 billion. Disney ft.com is acquiring 21st Century Fox ft.com for $52.4 billion. Netflix ft.com is acquiring Quibi bloomberg.com for $1.75 billion.
Market Performance
The S&P 500 ended lower bloomberg.com on Wednesday. The Nasdaq Composite fell ft.com as well. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained bloomberg.com. The Russell 2000 rose bloomberg.com. The MSCI World Index fell ft.com. The MSCI Emerging Markets Index gained bloomberg.com. The Bloomberg Commodity Index fell bloomberg.com. The Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index gained wsj.com.
Corporate Governance
HSBC ft.com says capital ratios need improvement before resuming buybacks. Standard Chartered wsj.com announced a $1.5 billion buyback. Barclays investing.com is raising its dividend by 7.5%. Deutsche Bank ft.com is