World News Wire

Data Center Demand Drives Institutional Capital to 45% of IOS Investment

Industrial outdoor storage (IOS) is drawing more Wall Street capital. Institutional investors now account for 45% of IOS investment, up from 30% four years ago, according to a Matthews report. Total IOS investment reached $14B to $16B in 2025, up 15% year-over-year, with deal activity projected to surpass 2025 levels this year. Despite a trucking industry downturn due to labor shortages and high diesel prices, strong demand from data center developers—representing about 20% of new IOS demand—combined with chronic undersupply, is pushing deal sizes to records. A $672M loan between Realterm and Starwood Property Trust in August set a new high.

US convertible bond issuance hits record $131bn, fueled by AI spending

US convertible bond issuance has reached a record annual high of over $131 billion, driven by corporate demand for AI-related spending. August's $25 billion in issuance pushed the year-to-date total past the previous record set in 2024. Goldman Sachs strategist Spencer Rogers noted that about 44% of this year's convertible bond issuance came from AI-related companies. Investment-grade firms like Alphabet also participated, with its convertible bond being the largest this year, part of an $85 billion financing plan.

Francisco Partners and KKR to Buy Minority Stakes in Italy's TeamSystem

Private equity firms Francisco Partners and KKR have agreed to acquire about 15% of Italian software company TeamSystem from its majority owner Hellman & Friedman (H&F), according to sources. The deal values TeamSystem at between €8 billion and €10 billion. TeamSystem provides accounting, payroll and business management software to businesses and professionals.

Charter Communications Stock Falls Nearly 50% in Past Year, Underperforming Nasdaq

Charter Communications, the telecom company behind the Spectrum brand, has seen its stock drop 49.2% over the past 52 weeks, while the Nasdaq Composite gained about 20%. The company lost 172,000 internet customers in Q2, up from 116,000 a year earlier, and issued a weaker profit outlook. CEO Chris Winfrey cited fierce competition from fiber, fixed wireless, and households relying solely on mobile. The $34.5 billion merger with Cox Communications adds integration risks.

The Motley Fool Predicts CoreWeave's Contracted Backlog to Exceed $150 Billion Before 2028

AI cloud provider CoreWeave ended June 2026 with a contracted backlog of $104.2 billion, up 246% year over year. The Motley Fool analyst Daniel Sparks predicts the backlog will surpass $150 billion before 2028. CoreWeave's stock traded at about $100 as of writing, roughly 35% below its 52-week high of $153.20.

Terrestrial Energy Raises Lifetime Revenue Estimate Per IMSR Plant to $2.7 Billion

Terrestrial Energy (NASDAQ: IMSR) reported Q2 results on August 11, still pre-revenue with a net loss of $9.4 million, improving from $10.5 million in Q1. The company raised its estimated cumulative lifetime revenue per IMSR plant to $2.7 billion (from $2.1 billion), with a blended gross margin of 33%, and lifted its 2050 serviceable addressable market estimate to $2.3 trillion. On the regulatory front, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission approved its Postulated Initiating Events methodology Topical Report. The company also signed a ground lease for 77 acres at the Texas A&M-RELLIS site and an MOU with Riot Platforms to explore co-locating IMSR plants with data centers.

Tectonic Therapeutic (TECX) Hits Two Trial Milestones, Cash Runway Into 2029

Tectonic Therapeutic (NASDAQ: TECX) reported Q2 results on August 6, highlighting that both lead programs met scheduled milestones. The APEX Phase 2 trial of TX45 for pulmonary hypertension completed enrollment of 191 patients; an independent data monitoring committee reviewed ~80% of expected exposure and recommended no changes, with topline results expected in early Q1 2027. The Phase 1a trial of TX2100 for hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia finished dosing all six single-dose cohorts in healthy volunteers, with topline results due by end of Q3 2026. The company held $227.1 million in cash at quarter end, projected to fund operations into Q1 2029. Net loss widened to $22.3 million from $20 million a year earlier.

CVC in final talks to buy EQT's Ginko China business

CVC Capital Partners has entered final negotiations to acquire the China operations of contact lens maker Ginko International from EQT, sources told Reuters. The business could be valued at $700-800 million including debt, below EQT's earlier target of at least $1 billion. Terms are not final and the deal may still fall through.

Accenture Stock Halved, but Free Cash Flow Yield Hits 11.5%

Accenture (ACN) trades 53% below its two-year high, yet generated $12.58 billion in free cash flow over the past twelve months, yielding 11.5% on market value versus a 4.4% median for the S&P 500. Full-year fiscal 2026 revenue growth guidance was cut to 3%-4% in local currency from a prior 4%, with consulting revenue up just 1% in fiscal Q3 due to a $100 million shortfall tied to the Middle East conflict, while managed services grew 5% and became the larger segment. Management flagged the Middle East drag would persist into fiscal Q4.

Kimball Electronics Bets on Medical Devices and Debt Paydown, Guides for 7%-9% Sales Growth in Fiscal 2027

Kimball Electronics (NASDAQ: KE) reported fiscal fourth-quarter net sales of $371.6 million, up 5% sequentially, with growth across all end markets. For fiscal 2027, the company guided net sales of $1.535 billion to $1.56 billion, a 7% to 9% increase over fiscal 2026, including roughly $60 million from the newly acquired Helvoet Polymer Technologies. Medical devices are expected to account for over a third of total sales. Total debt fell to $116.6 million, the lowest in over four years.

Bit Digital Borrows $50M Against Ethereum to Fund AI Data Center Buildout

Bit Digital (NASDAQ: BTBT) disclosed in its Q2 earnings report on August 13 that it borrowed $50 million against a portion of its Ethereum holdings, using the proceeds to provide a credit facility of up to $150 million for its AI infrastructure subsidiary WhiteFiber to fund a new data center. The structure avoided selling ETH or issuing new equity. Q2 revenue reached $32.1 million, up 15% quarter-over-quarter, while net loss narrowed to $107.2 million from $146.7 million.

American Healthcare REIT Executive Sells 2,000 Shares for ~$111,000 Under Pre-Arranged Plan

Mark E. Foster, EVP, GC & Secretary of American Healthcare REIT (NYSE: AHR), sold 2,000 common shares on Sept. 1, 2026, at a weighted average price of $55.39, for a total of about $111,000. The sale was conducted under a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan adopted on Dec. 19, 2025, and was exempt from a lock-up agreement tied to the company's August 2026 stock offering. Foster retains 51,617 shares directly, valued at approximately $2.9 million based on the Sept. 1 closing price.

Inspur Electronics plans up to RMB 9 bln share placement for AI infrastructure and working capital

Qualcomm to make custom chips for Amazon in $4B deal

Chipmaker Qualcomm has struck a deal worth approximately $4 billion to make custom chips for Amazon, according to a post on social media by evanderburg. No details on chip type or delivery timeline were provided.

YouYan Silicon Plans to Acquire Stakes in Two Semiconductor Material Firms, Board Approves Proposal

YouYan Silicon (688432) announced it plans to acquire a combined 71.89% stake in Shandong Youyan Aisi Semiconductor Materials Co., Ltd. via share issuance and cash, and a 14.98% stake in Shandong Youyan Semiconductor Materials Co., Ltd. via share issuance, along with a supporting fundraising. The board approved the transaction proposal on September 11, 2026. As audit and valuation are incomplete, the company will not convene a shareholders' meeting for now, and its shares will resume trading on September 14.

Kenya to receive $400 million in emergency World Bank financing

Kenya is set to receive $400 million in emergency financing from the World Bank.

G-III Apparel Bets $1.2B on Own Brands, Buys Marc Jacobs as Calvin Klein License Winds Down

G-III Apparel closed its acquisition of Marc Jacobs on September 1 for about $1.2 billion, timed as its long-term licensing agreements with Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger wind down. For fiscal Q2 2027, net sales fell 10% to $554.1 million, but gross margin jumped 440 basis points to 45.2%, and non-GAAP EPS of $0.26 beat guidance. Management said $700 million of the expected $1.2 billion revenue loss from exiting PVH-owned brands has already been replaced by higher-margin owned brands like Donna Karan and DKNY.

Gloo Q2 Revenue Surges 188% YoY, Raises FY2026 Outlook to $200M

Gloo (NASDAQ:GLOO), a vertical technology platform for the faith and flourishing ecosystem, reported fiscal Q2 revenue of $46.6 million for the quarter ended July 31, 2026, up 188% year over year and 12% sequentially. The company guided Q3 revenue of $55 million and an adjusted EBITDA loss of $3.5 million, while reiterating its target of adjusted EBITDA profitability in Q4. Full-year fiscal 2026 revenue outlook was raised to $200 million from $195 million.

Enbridge to Buy Tallgrass Crude Pipeline Business for $2.55 Billion

Canadian pipeline company Enbridge has agreed to acquire Tallgrass Energy's crude transportation business for $2.55 billion in cash, gaining major pipeline and storage assets connecting U.S. Rockies production with the Cushing, Oklahoma, oil hub. The deal includes a 75% interest in the Pony Express Pipeline (capacity ~460,000 bpd) and a 51% interest in the Powder River Gateway system (capacity ~240,000 bpd), plus about 8.4 million barrels of crude storage. The transaction is expected to close later in 2026, subject to regulatory approvals.

Hongchang Electronics Plans Private Placement of Up to 1.8 Billion Yuan for CCL and Advanced Packaging Film Projects

Hongchang Electronics announced on September 11 that it plans to issue shares to no more than 35 specific investors, raising up to 1.8 billion yuan. After deducting issuance costs, the proceeds will be used for the Zhuhai Hongren project (1.055 billion yuan), Wuxi Hongren project (95 million yuan), the advanced packaging film (GBF) project (320 million yuan), and working capital replenishment (330 million yuan). The plan was approved by the board on September 10, 2026, and is subject to shareholder approval, Shanghai Stock Exchange review, and China Securities Regulatory Commission registration.

Hongqiao Holdings to Acquire Two Solar Firms for 2.05 Billion Yuan, Adding 2.5 GW of Grid-Connected Capacity

Hongqiao Holdings announced it plans to acquire 100% equity of Yunnan Hongqiao New Energy and Yunnan Xinchuang through its wholly-owned subsidiary Yunnan Hongqiao New Materials, for a total cash consideration of 2.05 billion yuan. The target companies hold grid-connected photovoltaic projects with a combined rated capacity of 2,527.82 MW (approximately 2.53 GW).

Zhipu Plans to Place 21.97 Million H-Shares at HK$714 Each

According to a deal document cited by Bloomberg, AI company Zhipu plans to place approximately 21.97 million H-shares at HK$714 per share.

China Securities Regulatory Commission Approves CICC's Absorption Merger of Dongxing Securities and Cinda Securities

The China Securities Regulatory Commission has approved CICC's plan to absorb Dongxing Securities and Cinda Securities through the issuance of new shares. Upon completion, Dongxing Securities and Cinda Securities will be dissolved, with their branches converted into CICC branches. Orient Asset and Cinda Asset will become major shareholders of CICC, holding 8.03% and 16.76% stakes respectively. CICC will also become a major shareholder of Dongxing Fund and Cinda澳亚 Fund, and will control Dongxing Futures and Cinda Futures.

Oracle's Capital Budget More Than Doubles Operating Cash Flow; Q1 Report Due Thursday

Oracle (NYSE: ORCL) plans net capital expenditures of about $70 billion in fiscal 2027 (through next May), more than double the $32 billion in operating cash flow it generated in fiscal 2026, according to CFO Hilary Maxson's remarks on the June earnings call cited by The Motley Fool. Even if operating cash flow grew another 54%, it would still fall well short of the capital budget. Oracle expects to raise roughly $40 billion through debt and equity to bridge the gap. The fiscal first-quarter results, due after market close Thursday (Sept. 10), will provide the first check on whether the spending plan is on track.

Embodied intelligence firm Kinetix AI raises over 500 mln yuan in Angel+ round

Tinci Materials Gets CSRC Nod for Hong Kong IPO

China's securities regulator issued a filing notice on Sept 11 for Guangzhou Tinci Materials Technology Co., Ltd., allowing the company to issue up to 412,760,200 overseas-listed ordinary shares and list on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

ABM Industries Posts Record Q3 Revenue on Aviation and M&D Strength

Facility management provider ABM Industries (NYSE:ABM) reported a record $2.3 billion in revenue for its fiscal third quarter ended July 2026, up 4.2% year-over-year, driven by 12.5% growth in Aviation and 17.6% in Manufacturing & Distribution. Adjusted diluted EPS rose 19% to $1.04. The company raised its full-year adjusted EPS guidance and cash flow expectations.

ETF Industry M&A Land Grab: Scale Replaces Organic Growth as Driving Force

On the latest ETF Zoo podcast, analysts noted a wave of M&A in the ETF industry, including billions in acquisitions such as Victory Capital/First Eagle and Vanguard/Altruist, signaling that scale, not organic growth, now drives the industry. The panel also debated controversial new products like Defiance's hourly-reset leveraged ETFs and NHL-linked sports-betting ETFs, as well as the risk of AI-themed ETFs being heavily concentrated in a few chip stocks.