Oracle cofounder Larry Ellison is raising the stakes in the battle for Hollywood’s future, personally intervening to salvage his son David Ellison’s hostile takeover bid for Warner Bros. Discovery. On Monday, David’s company, Paramount Skydance, announced the elder Ellison had provided an “irrevocable personal guarantee” of $40.4 billion to finance the deal, directly countering claims that the company’s funding was unreliable.​ It’s the latest turn in the high-profile tug-of-war for Warner Bros. Discovery ...

Shares in Paramount Skydance (PSKY) and Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) spiked Monday morning after Larry Ellison, the centibillionaire founder and executive chairman of Oracle (ORCL), agreed to personally backstop $40.4 billion in equity financing for Paramount's proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Paramount shares rose by more than 5% in early trading Monday, while Warner Bros. shares rose over 4%. In a securities filing Monday morning, Paramount Skydance — led by Larry Ellison's son, David Ellison — sa ...

据周一发布的声明，埃里森已同意为其子大卫.埃里森担任首席执行官的派拉蒙提供404亿美元股权融资 的个人担保，用于支持派拉蒙提出的1084亿美元收购华纳兄弟的方案。埃里森还承诺不撤销埃里森家族 信托。派拉蒙确认，埃里森家族信托持有约11.6亿股甲骨文普通股，且该信托的所有重大负债均已公开 披露。此外，派拉蒙还将监管反向终止费从50亿美元提高至58亿美元。 周一盘前，华纳兄弟探索公司(WBD.US)上涨4%，报28.88美元。消息面上，派拉蒙天空之舞(Paramount Skydance,PSKY.US)修订了对该公司的收购要约，在维持每股30美元现金报价不变的情况下，新增甲骨 文(ORCL.US)董事长拉里.埃里森的个人财务担保，以期击败奈飞(NFLX.US)的竞争性报价。 ...

据周一发布的声明，埃里森已同意为其子大卫·埃里森担任首席执行官的派拉蒙提供404亿美元股权融资 的个人担保，用于支持派拉蒙提出的1084亿美元收购华纳兄弟的方案。埃里森还承诺不撤销埃里森家族 信托。派拉蒙确认，埃里森家族信托持有约11.6亿股甲骨文普通股，且该信托的所有重大负债均已公开 披露。此外，派拉蒙还将监管反向终止费从50亿美元提高至58亿美元。 智通财经APP获悉，周一盘前，华纳兄弟探索公司(WBD.US)上涨4%，报28.88美元。消息面上，派拉蒙 天空之舞(Paramount Skydance, PSKY.US)修订了对该公司的收购要约，在维持每股30美元现金报价不变 的情况下，新增甲骨文(ORCL.US)董事长拉里·埃里森的个人财务担保，以期击败奈飞(NFLX.US)的竞争 性报价。 ...

Core Viewpoint - Larry Ellison, co-founder of Oracle, will provide a personal guarantee of $40.4 billion in equity financing to support Paramount's $108.4 billion all-cash offer to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, addressing concerns about the stability of the financing [1][5]. Group 1: Acquisition Details - The guarantee aims to alleviate Warner Bros. board's doubts regarding Paramount's funding stability, which previously led to a preference for a cash-and-stock deal with Netflix [1][5]. - Paramount's revised terms maintain the all-cash offer of $30 per share, and following this news, Warner Bros. shares rose nearly 4% in pre-market trading, while Paramount's shares increased by about 3% [1][5]. - Paramount has increased the reverse breakup fee from $5 billion to $5.8 billion in case of regulatory approval failure, aligning with Netflix's terms, and extended the offer's validity until January 21, 2026 [6]. Group 2: Competitive Landscape - The bidding war for Hollywood's most valuable assets continues, with both parties poised to gain significant advantages in the streaming wars due to their extensive content libraries [2][6]. - Analysts suggest that Paramount's current precarious position has led to this aggressive move to avoid being marginalized in the competitive landscape [2][6]. - Some investors, including Harris Associates, are open to considering the revised offer if Paramount can present a more attractive proposal and resolve existing issues in the deal terms [6]. Group 3: Regulatory Considerations - Both acquisition proposals will face stringent antitrust scrutiny in the U.S. and Europe, with bipartisan concerns about media industry consolidation [3][7]. - A successful merger between Paramount and Warner Bros. would create a media giant larger than Disney, potentially controlling a significant portion of television content consumed by Americans [3][7]. - Netflix's potential merger with Warner Bros. would further solidify its dominance in the streaming sector, with a combined total of 428 million subscribers [3][7].

Core Insights - 2025 is anticipated to be a strong year for IPOs and M&A transactions, with optimism from Wall Street that this growth momentum will continue into the new year [1][3]. M&A Market Performance - The total announced M&A transaction value in 2025 reached $4.8 trillion, marking the highest since 2021 and the second-highest in the past decade [8]. - There were 166 M&A deals exceeding $5 billion, the highest number since 2021, although the total number of deals was the lowest in at least ten years [8]. - The technology sector dominated the M&A market with a transaction value of $1 trillion, accounting for over 20% of the global total, significantly outpacing the healthcare sector [8]. - The resurgence of leveraged buyouts is a key indicator of the M&A market's recovery, with private equity transaction volume reaching $1 trillion, the highest since 2021 [8][11]. - The overall market environment is favorable for continued M&A activity, driven by a need for scale and a more lenient regulatory stance from the Trump administration compared to the Biden administration [12]. IPO Market Performance - In 2025, 1,372 companies successfully went public, raising a total of $170.6 billion, the best performance since 2022, but still significantly lower than the $606.4 billion raised in 2021 [13][16]. - The technology sector was the leading force in the IPO market, representing 29% of the global IPO market, with notable listings from companies like CoreWeave and Figma [16]. - The largest IPO of 2025 was from Medline, a medical supplies provider, raising nearly $6.3 billion, indicating a broader acceptance of various business models in the market [16]. Market Outlook for 2026 - There is a general optimism among investment bankers regarding the market performance in the first half of 2026, with expectations that it will likely continue the strong activity seen in the latter half of 2025 [17][18]. - Communication with clients and the number of ongoing projects for 2026 are at high levels, suggesting a robust pipeline for future transactions [18].

The saga of Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. ( WBD ) and Netflix, Inc. ( NFLX ) continues, with, of course, the continuing maneuvers of Paramount Skydance Corporation ( PSKY ) thrown in for good measure.Max Greve is a graduate of Northwestern University with a quadruple major in History, Economics, Political Science, and International Studies. Max is a full-time writer and in addition to stock market trends also writes articles on government, current events, macroeconomic trends, and last but not least, the ong ...

Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison has agreed to personally backstop a crucial portion of the financing behind Paramount Skydance's hostile bid for Warner Bros Discovery (WBD), intensifying a high-stakes... ...

Core Viewpoint - An investigation is being conducted into Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.'s Board of Directors for potential breaches of fiduciary duties and violations of state law related to the proposed sale of the Company or its parts [1][3]. Group 1: Investigation Details - The investigation by Berger Montague focuses on whether the Board failed to maximize shareholder value by adequately evaluating acquisition proposals for the Company or its segments [3]. - Shareholders are encouraged to contact Berger Montague for more information regarding the investigation [2]. Group 2: Company Overview - Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. is a multinational mass-media and entertainment conglomerate, involved in film and TV studios, streaming services, and cable/linear networks [2]. - The law firm Berger Montague has a strong track record in complex civil litigation and has recovered over $50 billion for clients over its 55-year history [4].

Group 1 - Netflix has refinanced part of its $59 billion bridge loan using lower-cost, longer-term debt to strengthen its financial proposal for acquiring Warner Bros Discovery [1] - The refinancing includes a $5 billion revolving credit facility and two delayed-draw term loans of $10 billion each, leaving $34 billion in funds to be syndicated [1] - The acquisition deal values Warner Bros' production and streaming assets at $82.7 billion, amidst a competitive bidding war with Paramount Global [1] Group 2 - Despite having the support of Warner Bros' board, Netflix faces regulatory and political hurdles, with concerns raised by Senator Elizabeth Warren labeling the acquisition as an "antitrust nightmare" [2] - Bridge loans are typically used to fill immediate financing gaps and are replaced by more permanent, lower-cost debt shortly after [3] - Wells Fargo, BNP Paribas, and HSBC are among the banks providing unsecured bridge loans to Netflix, with the debt set to mature in phases [4] Group 3 - Netflix's ability to access cheaper financing channels has improved since upgrading to blue-chip status in 2023, moving away from reliance on junk bond markets [4] - The revolving credit facility is expected to mature in 2030 or three years after the transaction closes, while the delayed-draw term loans will mature in two and three years, respectively [4] - Netflix's debt is likely to be rated investment-grade due to its Moody's A3 and S&P A ratings [4]