Anthropic's Revenue Run Rate Exceeds $9 Billion
Anthropic's revenue run rate has surpassed $9 billion as it secures at least $1 billion in a new funding round from investors including Coatue Management, GIC, and Iconiq Capital, valuing the AI startup at $350 billion. This marks a significant increase from a run rate of $4 billion in July 2025, reflecting strong demand for its AI solutions. The current funding round is oversubscribed, with total financing potentially exceeding $20 billion, bolstered by previous commitments from Nvidia and Microsoft.
SpaceX accelerates IPO plans for 2026 amid AI initiative
Elon Musk's SpaceX is expediting plans for an initial public offering in 2026, driven by the company's initiative to deploy artificial-intelligence data centers in orbit. CFO Bret Johnsen highlighted the urgency of this project in an internal memo, indicating that IPO proceeds would fund the necessary infrastructure. This shift marks a significant change for SpaceX, which had previously aimed to remain private until achieving routine Mars missions.
Netflix subscriber growth reaches 325 million globally
Netflix reported a significant increase in its subscriber base, reaching 325 million globally after adding 12.4 million new subscribers in the fourth quarter of 2025, driven largely by its investment in live sports. The company's revenue for the quarter rose to $12.05 billion, an 18% year-over-year increase, while operating income surged 30% to $2.96 billion. Looking ahead, Netflix projects revenue between $50.7 billion and $51.7 billion for 2026, reflecting its strategic focus on content expansion and advertising revenue.
Deutsche Börse to Acquire Allfunds for €5.3 Billion
Deutsche Börse Group has announced its acquisition of Allfunds for approximately €5.3 billion, offering shareholders €8.80 per share, which includes €6.00 in cash, €2.60 in Deutsche Börse shares, and a dividend of €0.20 per share. The deal represents a premium of 32.5% over Allfunds' closing price on November 26, 2025. Allfunds' directors have unanimously supported the acquisition, which requires approval from a majority of shareholders.
French Telecoms Explore Acquisition of Altice Assets
Bouygues Telecom, Free (Groupe Iliad), and Orange have confirmed they are in discussions with Altice regarding the potential acquisition of a significant portion of its telecom assets in France. The consortium stated that due diligence has been underway since early January 2026, although no legal or financial terms have been finalized, and they emphasized that no agreement has been reached at this stage. Any potential deal will require approval from the governance bodies of the involved companies and will be subject to regulatory conditions.
Japan's Exports to US Decline for First Time in Five Years
Japan's exports to the U.S. fell for the first time in five years in 2025, declining 4.1% to 20.4 trillion yen ($129 billion), primarily due to President Donald Trump's tariffs on the automotive sector. Shipments of vehicles dropped 11.4%, while auto parts decreased by 10.7%. Japan also recorded a trade deficit of 2.65 trillion yen ($17 billion) for the year, nearly 53% smaller than the previous year's deficit.
Walmart and Tiger Global to Sell $1.5 Billion PhonePe IPO
Walmart Inc. and Tiger Global Management are set to sell approximately 50.7 million shares of PhonePe Ltd. in an initial public offering (IPO) valued at $1.5 billion, according to a draft prospectus. The offering, which received regulatory approval, will be conducted entirely through an offer for sale, with Walmart reducing its stake from 71.77% to 62.71%. PhonePe reported a widened loss of 14.44 billion rupees ($157.80 million) for the half-year ending September 30, despite a 22% increase in revenue to 39.18 billion rupees.
