Latest Corporate News
US Exempt from Global Tax Deal on Multinationals
Nearly 150 countries agreed to a plan curbing profit shifting by large firms, but the US is exempt, hailed by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent as a sovereignty win. Tax transparency groups expressed anger over the exemption.
This preserves US business interests amid international pressure.
Historic Surge in Large-Cap M&A Kicks Off 2026
Wall Street dubs it 'The Great Unlocking' with deals fueled by stable rates, cash reserves, and AI/clean energy needs. Key transactions include Meta's $2B buy of Manus AI, IBM's $11B for Confluent, and ServiceNow's $7.75B for Armis.
Energy and pharma sectors see major activity like Constellation's $26.6B Calpine deal.
Hg Capital to Acquire OneStream for $6.4 Billion
Buyout firm Hg Capital announced a $6.4B all-cash deal for financial software firm OneStream at $24 per share, a 31% premium. OneStream will go private with Hg as majority owner and General Atlantic, Tidemark as minorities.
Focus on growth in financial management and AI.
D-Wave to Acquire Quantum Circuits for $550 Million
D-Wave agreed to buy Quantum Circuits, merging annealing and gate-model quantum tech to lead the market. Deal valued at $550M ($300M stock, $250M cash); superconducting gate-model systems planned for 2026.
Closing expected late January pending approvals.
Merck Completes $9 Billion Acquisition of Cidara Therapeutics
Merck finalized tender offer for Cidara at $221.50 per share, acquiring 86% of shares; merger completes today making Cidara a subsidiary. Deal as asset acquisition to boost R&D, charging $9B to 2026 expenses ($3.65/share).
Cidara stock delisted from Nasdaq.
US Stocks Hit Records After Venezuela Developments
Dow Jones reached 49,462 (up 1%), S&P 500 up 0.6%, Nasdaq up 0.7% on tech optimism and economic data. Energy stocks rose after US strikes ousting Maduro, eyeing 30-50M barrels of Venezuelan crude.
Financial shares also surged.
Asian Markets Mixed Amid Geopolitical Tensions
Nikkei 225 fell 0.9% to 52,041.97, Kospi down 0.5% to 4,503.23; ASX 200 up 0.3%. Brent crude eased on Venezuelan oil news; uncertainty from Venezuela and geopolitics weighs.
Hong Kong tech like Alibaba, Baidu down amid China-Japan feud.
JPMorgan Survey: US Business Leaders Optimistic for 2026
Small/midsize firms plan growth via new products (58%), market expansion (53%), partnerships (49%), M&A (39%). AI essential for 59%; challenges include inflation, tariffs; building cash reserves.
Over half expect economic stabilization.
China Property Developers Decline Sharply
Developers with 100B yuan+ sales dropped to 10 in 2025 from 43 in 2020 amid downturn. Only China Jinmao reported YoY sales growth among top 10.
Unending crisis hits sector hard.
Big Tech AI Investments May Fall Short on Profits
Goldman Sachs warns S&P 500 tech firms might get only half the profit needed to justify massive AI capex. Markets mixed: S&P record at 6,944; FTSE down 0.65%, Nikkei down 1.06%.
Focus on capex returns intensifies.
Russia Orders More Taxes as GDP Growth Slows
Putin directs higher taxes amid wartime economy slowdown. Follows December strategic council meeting.
Impacts corporate profitability.
Constellation Energy Acquires Calpine for $26.6 Billion
Deal positions Constellation as top zero-emission power provider for data centers via geothermal, gas assets. Key for AI infrastructure needs.
Highlights energy M&A boom.