Inflation divergence
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Citi Nears Banamex Stake Sale; DeepSeek AI Launch Pressures Nasdaq
Stock Market News· 2026-02-23 17:08
Group 1: Citigroup and Banamex Divestiture - Citigroup is nearing a deal to sell stakes in its Mexican consumer banking arm, Banamex, to Blackstone and the Co-CEOs of Televisa, following a previous $2.3 billion sale of a 25% stake to Fernando Chico Pardo in late 2025 [2][10] - This divestiture is part of CEO Jane Fraser's strategy to simplify the bank's global footprint and focus on higher-return institutional businesses, with plans for an initial public offering (IPO) for the remaining portion of Banamex in 2026 [3][10] - The Banamex divestiture remains a core strategic priority for Citigroup as it prepares for the full IPO expected later in 2026 [10] Group 2: DeepSeek V4 and Nasdaq Valuations - The anticipated release of DeepSeek V4, a new large language model from a Chinese AI firm, is expected to challenge the high-margin hardware model currently dominated by Nvidia, potentially leading to a rough period for Nasdaq tech stocks [4][10] - Analysts warn that if DeepSeek demonstrates that advanced AI can be run on significantly cheaper hardware, it could trigger a valuation correction for major tech stocks like Microsoft and Alphabet [5] Group 3: Eurozone Inflation Divergence - The European Central Bank (ECB) faces a policy dilemma as inflation trends diverge in Germany and France, complicating the maintenance of a unified interest rate policy for the Eurozone [6][7] - Germany is experiencing persistent price pressures, while France's inflation has dipped below the ECB's 2% target, suggesting a need for monetary easing to prevent economic slowdown [6][7]