Private Equity Bros Weekly

📊 Weekly Summary

A look at the top stories in finance and economics this week:

Wall Street expects China to enact its biggest rate cuts in a decade to foster growth, while US private payrolls grew slower than forecast, signaling labor market cooling. Developing nations face a record $1.4T debt service burden, and insurance losses from natural disasters topped $135B this year.

In the Eurozone, business activity fell sharply in November, raising slowdown fears, while Fed policymakers avoid guidance on December rate cuts. Globally, billionaire wealth surged 17% to a record $14T, driven by US gains.

Let’s break it down.

📈 Recent Finance News

Wall Street predicts biggest China rate cuts in decade: Policymakers intensify efforts to reinforce growth and stop deflation (YF)

Insurance losses from natural disasters to top $135B this year: At least two-thirds of 2024’s losses were in the US (PAI)

Global billionaire wealth surged 17% in 2024: It reached a record of $14T, largely driven by US gains (IUK)

Private payrolls grew by less-than-expected 146k: A sign of potential cooling in the US labor market (CNBC)

Eurozone business activity fell sharply in November: This decline raises concerns about a regional economic slowdown (RT)

Fed policymakers steer clear of December rate cut guidance: US central banks continue to believe inflation is heading down (USN)

Developing countries face $1.4T debt service bill: Poor economies seek multilateral aid to balance debt and development needs (YF)

Investors put record $3.9B in equity funds in November: UK investors also put $402M into UK-focused funds (MSN)

China hits back US chip restrictions: Chinese industry groups issued statements claiming buying US chips is unsafe (YF)

JP Morgan clients boosted long US bond bets to the highest in a year: Reflecting a shift in investor sentiment towards safer assets (AP)

🔍 Newly Released Reports  

• Succeeding in Complex M&A Processes (KPMG)

• Accelerating Business Transformation (KPMG)

• TMT Industry Prediction Report (AlixPartners)

• Oaktree Book Recommendations (Oaktree)

• Guide to Global Markets (J.P. Morgan)

• Private Equity in Luxembourg (PwC)

• Billionaire Ambitions Report (UBS)

• Equity Finance in Thailand (TCL)

🤝 M&A Activity

Vodafone merges with CK Hutchison's Three in the UK (Guardian)
Deal Value: $21B

BlackRock to acquire private credit firm HPS (BlackRock)
Deal Value: $12B

Aviva agrees to buy Direct Line in insurance deal (Guardian)
Deal Value: $4.6B

EQT's potential sale of payments firm Banking Circle (BNN)
Potential Deal Value: $3B–$4B

JC Flowers and QIA explore sale of British insurance group Inigo (IJ)
Potential Deal Value: $2.5B

TPG-led investors acquire stake in cloud data firm Veeam Software (AW)
Deal Value: $2B

TotalEnergies to acquire German renewables developer VSB Group (PEi)
Deal Value: $1.7B

InfraVia in talks for 50% of OpCore (Iliad data center) (YF)
Deal Value: $904M

Apollo to acquire 50% of Texas solar/battery portfolio (ESG)
Deal Value: $550M

Pension fund OMERS buys stake in IT provider Integris (P&I)
Deal Value: Undisclosed