WORLD
Robot vacuum Roomba maker goes bankrupt, Chinese owner emerges
The Massachusetts-based consumer robot maker, which is currently listed, will be taken over by China’s Shenzhen PICEA Robotics Co. and a subsidiary of the Chinese firm
BUSINESS
Warner Bros. adds blockbuster finish to $4.5 trillion deals haul
Global transaction values have risen around 40% to about $4.5 trillion this year, data compiled by Bloomberg show, as companies chase ultra-ambitious combinations, emboldened by friendlier regulators.
BUSINESS
SMBC Asia inks debut $3.2 billion SRT with Blackstone, Stonepeak
The transaction, covering Australian and Asian project finance loans, was finalized between September to October, it said in the statement.
BUSINESS
China Vanke vows to improve bond delay plan after failed vote
Vanke, once China’s biggest homebuilder by sales, also said that it would hold a noteholder meeting on Thursday to discuss next steps for its 2 billion yuan ($283 million) security, which matures Dec. 15.
WORLD
Moore Threads plans to use most IPO proceeds to buy bank products
The company plans to invest 7.5 billion yuan ($1.1 billion) of 'idled funds,' equal to about 90% of the proceeds from its initial public offering
BUSINESS
Axis to hire 50 private bankers to target wealth boom in India
The firm is expanding its team of bankers across locations to cater to the growing needs of high-net-worth individual and ultra-high net-worth individual clients
WORLD
Wall Street sees AI bubble coming and is betting on what pops it
The queasiness about the AI trade involves its uses, the enormous cost of developing it, and whether consumers ultimately will pay for the services. Those answers will have major implications for the stock market’s future.
WORLD
Hong Kong’s Jimmy Lai found guilty in landmark security case
The city’s High Court on Monday convicted Lai, 78, on two counts of conspiring to collude with foreign forces — a crime punishable by life in prison under the China-imposed National Security Law.
WORLD
OpenAI to end equity vesting period for employees: Report
The move comes after the company shortened the vesting period for new hires to six months from the industry standard of 12 months in April, the report said, adding that Elon Musk’s xAI made a similar change in the summer.
WORLD
Hassett says Trump can offer Fed advice but won’t set its action
The president “has very strong and well-founded views about what we ought to do,” Hassett, Trump’s top economic adviser at the White House, said Sunday on CBS’ Face the Nation.
BUSINESS
Alphabet poised for another paper gain as SpaceX valuation jumps
SpaceX’s insider share sale was priced at $421 a share, Bloomberg reported Friday, which would mark a sharp jump in valuation from earlier secondary transactions.
TECHNOLOGY
Global funds view Indian stocks as a top hedge against AI risks
With the AI frenzy fading and India’s stock valuations falling back near their five-year average after sharply trailing peers this year, the consumption-driven economy is back in favor
BUSINESS
Gold holds gains as divergent Fed remarks temper easing outlook
Gold has surged more than 60% this year and silver has more than doubled — with both metals on track for their best annual performances since 1979.
BUSINESS
Asian stocks fall on tech concerns, Bitcoin slips
Asian markets, strong outperformers this year, appear particularly vulnerable given the region’s heavy reliance on manufacturing the components underpinning the technology boom.
WORLD
Indonesia flood death toll tops 1,000 as Prabowo vows to rebuild
At least 5,400 people were injured in the disaster and 217 were reported to be missing as of December 14
WORLD
Asia’s rich drive $200 billion revival in complex equity notes
Issuance of structured products linked to Hong Kong and Singapore equities has surged 80% this year to a record of more than $200 billion
WORLD
OpenAI to end equity vesting period for employees: Report
The move comes after the company shortened the vesting period for new hires to six months from the industry standard of 12 months in April
BUSINESS
Rich world’s rate-cut momentum is fading away
A year that dawned with the prospect of successive, if limited, rate cuts across the rich world is set to end with that momentum losing steam. Instead, central bankers are stepping back to assess how their progress so far is impacting growth and inflation.
CRYPTOCURRENCY
Tether’s $1.3 billion Juventus play pits new money vs old
The crypto firm’s all-cash proposal to buy Exor NV’s 65.4% holding for €2.66 a share values Juventus at about $1.3 billion
BUSINESS
Hong Kong, India fuel blockbuster year for Asia fundraising
The upswing has been broad-based across Asia. Four of the world’s five largest share-sale venues are in the continent, with India, mainland China and Japan trailing Hong Kong.
WORLD
US sets new Air Force One delivery date for mid-2028
The Air Force offered the latest estimate in a statement that said the timeline “is the result of continuing discussions between Boeing and the Air Force.”
BUSINESS
Paramount’s $54 billion debt plays a starring role in Warner bid
Paramount has a temporary financing package in place for the combined company, but it hasn’t locked in a maximum rate on more permanent borrowings for the transaction.
BUSINESS
SpaceX sets $800 billion valuation, confirms 2026 IPO plans
The per-share price of $421 in its latest secondary offering, laid out by Chief Financial Officer Bret Johnsen in the memo to shareholders, is nearly double the $212 a share set in July at a $400 billion valuation.
BUSINESS
Stocks Tumble as Year’s Winning AI Bets Take a Hit: Markets Wrap
After technology heavyweights drove equity gains for much of the year, concerns about stretched valuations and vast capital outlays have prompted investors to look for opportunities elsewhere.
