SoftBank Acquires ABB Robotics in Multi-Billion Dollar Deal Amidst Mixed Global Market Signals

Group 1: SoftBank and ABB Acquisition - SoftBank Group Corp. is acquiring ABB's robotics division for an enterprise value of $5.375 billion, aiming to integrate ABB's technology with SoftBank's AI capabilities [2][7] - ABB expects a non-operational pretax book gain of approximately $2.4 billion from the divestment, which will be reported as discontinued operations starting in Q4 2025 [3][7] Group 2: Economic Developments in New Zealand - The Reserve Bank of New Zealand implemented a 50 basis point rate cut, lowering the official cash rate to 2.50%, reflecting concerns over weak domestic growth [4][7] - The RBNZ signaled the possibility of further rate reductions to stabilize inflation near its 2% target [4] Group 3: APAC Market Performance - APAC stock markets showed mixed performance, with the S&P/ASX 200 closing down 0.1% at 8,947.60, marking three consecutive days of declines [5][7] - Despite the overall dip, sectors like materials, healthcare, and utilities managed to finish positively [5] Group 4: Japan's Economic Sentiment - Japan's Eco Watchers Survey for September indicated a slight improvement in economic sentiment, with the Current SA index rising to 47.1 and the Outlook SA index reaching 48.5 [6][7] Group 5: Italy's Mandatory Offer Regulation - Italy is set to apply a uniform 30% rule for mandatory offers in listed firms, requiring any entity acquiring 30% or more of voting shares to launch a mandatory tender offer for all remaining shares [8][7]