Private Equity Bros Weekly

📊 Weekly Summary

Here’s a recap of this week’s major news in finance and economics:

Trump asked the US Supreme Court to overturn a ruling that struck down much of his tariff policy, while Bridgewater’s Ray Dalio warned that the US risks sliding toward a 1930s-style autocracy. Meanwhile, BlackRock lost a $17B Dutch pension mandate over ESG concerns.

In markets, Bridgewater’s bold bet on China paid off with a 35% gain in its onshore fund. The Nasdaq tightened rules for small IPOs and Chinese listings, while Goldman Sachs forecast a record-breaking M&A cycle by 2026.

Plus, Buyside Hub recently published a very detailed Investment Banking Compensation Report that you can access here.

Let’s break it down.

📈 Recent Finance News

Trump asked US Supreme Court to overturn trade tariffs ruling: The President challenges court decision that most of his trade tariffs were illegal (Guardian)

Australia’s GDP grows at the fastest pace since September 2023: The country’s GDP grew 1.8% year over year, beating the 1.6% forecast (CNBC)

US corporate borrowers rush to bond market post-Labor Day: Issuers rush to lock in financing as rates and volatility loom (RT)

Blue Owl expands to a broader audience as private markets go mainstream: It’s part of the asset manager’s strategy to raise brand awareness (CNBC)

BlackRock lost $17B Dutch pension mandate amid ESG pullback: PFZW raised concerns that BlackRock was failing to address climate risk (Impakter)

Bridgewater's contrarian bet in China: The hedge fund giant posted a 35% gain in its China onshore fund while exiting $1.4B of offshore equities (AInvest)

Nasdaq tightened rules for small IPOs and Chinese firms: A review uncovered emerging patterns linked to potential pump-and-dump schemes (YF)

JPMorgan will expand corporate banking in India: Global banks deepen their presence in Asia’s fastest-growing major economy (BS)

Goldman Sachs predicts record-breaking M&A in 2026: M&A activity built up over the summer following a disappointing start to the year (YF)

Ray Dalio warned US risks a slide into 1930s-style autocracy: The Bridgewater founder warned of the state’s increasing intervention in the private sector (CNN)

📊 These are the financial models professionals trust in live deals.

Merger Model | RE Case Study | LBO Model

🔍 Newly Released Reports

• Private Markets Asset Allocation Framework (Morgan Stanley)

• US Economy Update: The Rally Amidst the Risks (IFMI)

• Doubling Down on Infra Secondaries (Partners Group)

• Global Commercial Real Estate Outlook (Invesco)

• Improving Tech ROI: Roadmap for CIOs (KPMG)

• Handbook for Investments in Latin America (EY)

• Q3-25 Guide to Markets (J.P. Morgan)

• US Housing & Credit Outlook (Apollo)

🤝 M&A Activity

MPS raises bid for rival Mediobanca with partial cash offer (YF)
Potential Deal Value: $15.8B

Koch family acquires minority stake in New York Giants (Guardian)
Deal Value: $10B

Sumitomo, SMBC Aviation, Apollo & Brookfield to buy Air Lease (BW)
Deal Value: $7.4B

Swiss drugmaker Novartis signs licensing deal with Argo Biopharma (PFE)
Deal Value: $5.2B

Evernorth invests in ex-Walgreens unit Shields Health Solutions (FH)
Deal Value: $3.5B

Aon to divest majority of NFP’s wealth business (Aon)
Deal Value: $2.7B

UK’s Anglo American sells Valterra Platinum stake (RT)
Deal Value: $2.5B

Plains to acquire 55% stake in EPIC Crude Holdings (NS)
Deal Value: $1.6B

OpenAI buys product development startup Statsig in an all-stock deal (CNBC)
Deal Value: $1.1B

Coca-Cola’s Costa Coffee draws buyout interest from TDR Capital (PEI)
Deal Value: Undisclosed