European private-equity firms sold off steeply Monday as fears around the strength of their underlying holdings intensified. ...

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]

Did you ever wonder what made you pass on what turned out to be a sure thing? What made you thumb your nose at something that now seems obvious to have had real value when you dissed it? Was it all that difficult to see the opportunity? Or did you remember what happened in 2007, when bad debt overwhelmed decent equity and the center almost failed to hold and you prudently decided it was too dangerous to invest? Or you got slaughtered like so many others. It depends. Let's examine the most salient stressor w ...

As the job market has tightened, many Gen Z college graduates have struggled to find stable footing—raising new questions about whether a degree is still worth the time and debt burden. But for many MBA students, the return on investment still looks hard to beat. Recent data from Harvard Business School found MBA alumni are raking in median salaries of about $260,000 three years after graduating. At the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, alumni are earning $248,000, while MIT (Sloan) graduates ...

Core Insights - Professional sports teams are increasingly viewed as a lucrative institutional asset class, attracting significant interest from private equity firms like KKR [1] - KKR has agreed to acquire Arctos Partners for an initial valuation of $1.4 billion, with an additional $550 million contingent on performance and share-price targets [1][5] - Arctos is uniquely positioned as one of the few approved entities for ownership across all five major U.S. sports leagues [1] Investment Strategy - KKR aims to leverage Arctos to enhance its "GP solutions" and secondary market offerings, providing liquidity and capital to private markets [3] - The acquisition will integrate Arctos into KKR Solutions, a new unit focused on scaling these investment strategies [3] Market Context - The secondary market volume reached a record $226 billion in 2025, indicating a strong demand for liquidity among Limited Partners and managers [6] - KKR's acquisition is strategically timed to capitalize on the growing trend of GP-led activities and secondary transactions [6] Financial Overview - Arctos, founded in 2019, has grown to manage $15 billion in Assets Under Management (AUM) [9] - The deal structure includes an initial transaction of $1.4 billion, with $300 million in cash and performance-based equity vesting until 2033 [6][11] Team and Confidence - Following the acquisition announcement, KKR's Co-CEOs and Director have shown confidence by purchasing significant amounts of KKR stock, indicating strong belief in the company's future [10]

Trade and Tariffs Escalation - The U.S. has raised the global tariff rate to 15% following a Supreme Court ruling that deemed previous trade actions unconstitutional, with potential disruptions to global supply chains and inflationary pressures [2] - The new tariffs are set for a 150-day period without Congressional approval, but the administration is exploring legal avenues to make them permanent [2] Private Equity and the "Bike Boom" Bust - KKR & Co. Inc. has transferred control of Accell Group to senior lenders, marking a €1 billion loss on a €1.8 billion acquisition made in 2022 due to excess inventory and declining consumer demand [3][4] - Accell Group, known for brands like Raleigh and Babboe, is undergoing its second debt restructuring in two years to avoid insolvency [4] Energy and Environmental Concerns - The Trump administration proposed a 9.2-gigawatt gas-fired power plant in Ohio, estimated to cost $33 billion, primarily funded by Japanese investment through SB Energy [5] - Environmental critics warn that the plant could become one of the largest sources of carbon dioxide emissions in the U.S. [5] Bitcoin's "Identity Crisis" - Bitcoin has experienced a significant decline, losing $1 trillion in market value and dropping from an all-time high of $126,000 to approximately $75,000, with a correlation to the Nasdaq reaching 0.75 [6] - This shift has led institutional investors to reassess Bitcoin's role as a portfolio diversifier, especially as gold outperforms during market volatility [6] Geopolitical Tensions and Regulation - U.S. and Iranian negotiators are engaged in technical discussions regarding uranium enrichment, with the U.S. reportedly softening its stance on a "zero enrichment" demand [9] - In Germany, the CDU party is proposing a social media ban for minors under 16, targeting platforms like TikTok and Instagram, citing concerns over youth mental health and misinformation [10]

In August 2025, President Trump signed an executive order aimed at allowing 401(k) account holders to invest in private equity assets. This means that American workers may be able to invest in companies that are not publicly traded on the stock market, such as private real estate investments (1). Supporters of the change say it's a way to expand investment choices for everyday Americans and even the playing field (2), while other experts insist this shift poses a "huge exposure to risk" and question how p ...

Investors were also watching for a possible U.S. Supreme Court ruling on President Donald Trump's tariffs that could be handed down at 10:00 a.m. ‌ET. If they ⁠are struck ⁠down, there is a risk that more than $175 billion in U.S. tariff collections will need to be refunded, according to Penn-Wharton Budget Model economists.Meanwhile, U.S. economic growth slowed more than expected in the fourth quarter amid disruptions from last year's record government shutdown and moderating consumer spending. The gross d ...

Market Overview - Markets opened cautiously on February 20, with benchmark indices trading in a narrow range after a significant sell-off that resulted in a loss of nearly ₹6.79 lakh crore in market capitalization [1] - The Sensex opened at 82,272.49 and was trading at 82,591.30, up ₹93.16 or 0.11% [2] - The Nifty 50 opened around 25,400 and was trading at 25,503.60, up 49.25 points or 0.19% [2] Sector Performance - The sell-off on Thursday was broad-based, with reality and media indices losing nearly 2% each, marking the steepest sectoral declines [2] - Banking, auto, FMCG, metals, and aviation stocks were also significantly impacted [3] - Information technology stocks continued to drag the market, with Tech Mahindra falling 1.39% and Infosys dropping 1.34% [11] Investor Activity - Both foreign institutional investors (FIIs) and domestic institutional investors (DIIs) turned net sellers, offloading ₹459.90 crore and ₹1,082.15 crore, respectively, in the cash market [3] - Analysts suggest that investors optimistic about a potential deal can use the current market weakness to buy fairly valued high-quality stocks in various sectors [12] Geopolitical Influences - The primary trigger for the risk-off mood was escalating US–Iran geopolitical tensions, with President Trump warning of potential consequences if a deal is not reached [4] - Crude oil prices surged above $66 per barrel, climbing more than 7% over two days due to concerns over potential disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz [4] Global Market Impact - Wall Street closed lower, with the Dow Jones falling 267 points, the Nasdaq down 70 points, and the S&P 500 dipping 19 points [5] - The US Dollar Index rose to near 97.80, impacting emerging market assets, while gold remained above $5,000 per troy ounce due to safe-haven demand [9] Technical Analysis - The Nifty has slipped below its 20-, 50-, and 100-day exponential moving averages, indicating a bearish trend [12] - Immediate support for the Nifty lies at 25,400–25,300, with resistance at 25,600 [12] - The Bank Nifty is hovering above the crucial support zone of 60,500–60,300, with a breach below this level potentially dragging the index toward 60,000–59,800 [12]

If you look at the numbers, the U.S. is the largest private wealth business in the world, and so the firm made a substantial decision to invest here. We started that process probably three years ago in the U.S. Peter Aliprantis : The U.S. private wealth channel has historically, and over the last five to 10 years, become very fertile ground for raising capital in private markets. I’ve been in this business for over 30 years, specifically in private wealth—I was in the private wealth business before it ...