Saturday, 21 February 2026
Paramount Skydance's $108 billion bid for Warner Bros. Discovery has cleared a key U.S. antitrust hurdle after the expiration of the 10-day waiting period mandated by the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act, signaling support from the Trump administration. The deal, which aims to outbid Netflix's offer of $27.75 per share, now faces scrutiny from lawmakers and industry stakeholders, with a shareholder vote on Netflix's deal scheduled for March 20.
Eurozone manufacturing returned to growth in February, with the flash Manufacturing PMI rising to 50.8 from 49.5, marking its highest level since June 2022, according to S&P Global and Hamburg Commercial Bank. The broader composite index also increased to 51.9 from 51.3, indicating continued expansion in the private sector, driven primarily by a resurgence in demand and robust new orders, particularly in Germany, where the manufacturing PMI rose to 50.7. Despite this positive shift, analysts caution that it may be premature to declare a full recovery.
American financier Gentry Beach, linked to former U.S. President Donald Trump, has entered into an agreement with Russia's Novatek to develop a natural gas project in Alaska, as reported by the New York Times. The deal was signed last autumn amid ongoing Western sanctions against Russia, and while Novatek acknowledged negotiations regarding its technology for liquefying natural gas in Alaska, it did not confirm collaboration with Beach. This development follows discussions between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in August aimed at addressing the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
The status of US Treasuries as a safe-haven asset is declining, raising concerns among investors about their reliability. This comes as the US Dollar Index (DXY) posted a weekly gain of almost 1% despite a weaker-than-expected Q4 Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth of 1.4%, down from the anticipated 3%. The December Core Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) rose by 3% year-on-year, indicating increased inflation pressures.
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