Topic overview
Mergers, acquisitions, strategic deals, and major corporate transaction activity.
Latest Stories
Century 21 has executed 16 M&A deals so far in 2026 after completing 24 transactions in 2025. The pace represents a roughly 40% increase in deal activity compared with 2022, with the company tying the trend to rising technology needs. If tech is the catalyst, M&A will reshape brokerage competition around platform strength, not just agent headcount.
Department M acquired a significant stake in indie film studio Neon, with financial terms undisclosed. Neon founder Tom Quinn will remain CEO as the company continues operating under existing leadership. New capital behind a top indie distributor can reset pricing and deal leverage across the independent film market.
EasyJet has backed a £5.7bn takeover offer from Apollo that tops a competing proposal from Castlelake. The airline said Apollo’s bid delivers a better outcome for shareholders. A board-backed topping bid can trigger a short, high-stakes bidding window that resets valuation and deal terms across the airline sector.
SK Hynix raised $26.5 billion in a US ADR offering, the largest first-time US share sale ever by a foreign company, to help fund AI infrastructure expansion. EasyJet received a new Apollo Global Management bid at 715 pence per share, topping a rival Castlelake proposal and setting up a potential bidding war. A higher bid for EasyJet and a record US ADR raise both point to abundant capital pressing harder on strategic assets and accelerating deal timelines.
Bayer sold a minority stake in its contraceptives business to Apollo for €3 billion to raise cash. The proceeds will help fund costs tied to Roundup litigation. When litigation drives asset sales, it changes how the market values the company’s remaining portfolio and its ability to fund legal resolutions without diluting shareholders.
Apollo offered 715 pence per share for EasyJet, surpassing Castlelake’s rival approach and injecting uncertainty into the takeover process. The move raises the prospect of a bidding war between two US investment firms. Competitive tension can lift shareholder payouts, but it can also produce more conditional offers and a higher chance the deal collapses.
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