Netflix-Warner deal, SpaceX IPO targets, EU fines X, Microsoft/Broadcom chip alliance...

Netflix has announced an $82.7 billion agreement to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, including its film, television, and gaming studios, in a move described by Wccftech as transformative for the streaming giant’s portfolio. However, The Information casts doubt on the deal’s financial wisdom, arguing the price—27.5 times next year’s expected profits—far exceeds industry standards and may not generate significant subscriber growth. Financial Times highlights the immense $59 billion bank loan led by Wells Fargo to finance the acquisition, making it one of the largest such financings on record, and notes the industry-wide ramifications as Hollywood incumbents misjudged Netflix’s disruptive power. Analysts warn of major regulatory hurdles and lengthy approval processes, which could distract Netflix leadership for up to 18 months and potentially result in a failed transaction. Financial Times The Information Wccftech Financial Times Financial Times

SpaceX has informed investors it is targeting an initial public offering in the second half of 2026, according to The Information. The proposed transaction, detailed by the Financial Times, could value the company at $800 billion, making it the world’s most valuable private company and catapulting it ahead of OpenAI. This anticipated IPO follows a period of rapid valuation growth and would allow investors and employees to sell shares at unprecedented prices, reflecting SpaceX’s dominance in the commercial space sector. The Information Financial Times

Financial Times reports that U.S. watchdogs have removed critical post-crisis guidelines on leveraged loans after sustained lobbying from Wall Street. The rollback is expected to ease restrictions on risky lending, potentially increasing exposure in the financial system just as credit markets face persistent uncertainty. This move comes amid broader financial deregulation trends and could have significant implications for risk management in U.S. banking. Financial Times

Billionaire banker Andy Beal, a prominent Trump supporter, is set to relaunch Beal Bank as Monet Bank with a focus on servicing the cryptocurrency industry, The Information reveals. The move addresses the crypto sector’s ongoing struggle to access mainstream financial services, with Monet Bank holding more than $4 billion in assets as of late 2025. The strategic pivot signals further institutionalization of digital assets in the U.S. banking sector. The Information

Microsoft is in discussions with Broadcom to design future custom chips, potentially moving away from current partner Marvell, reports The Information. The talks are fueled by surging demand for specialized chips amid the AI and cloud computing boom. This prospective partnership could reshape supply chains in the semiconductor industry, reinforcing Broadcom’s growing influence in AI hardware, as further explored by The Information’s profile of CEO Hock Tan’s aggressive expansion strategy. The Information The Information

Meta Platforms has acquired Limitless, a startup developing wearable AI devices such as the “Pendant,” as confirmed by The Information and Financial Times. The acquisition underlines Meta’s ambitions to diversify beyond smart glasses into broader AI-powered hardware, with the Limitless device designed for continuous audio recording and contextual assistance. The move signals intensified competition in the AI hardware space as tech giants race to integrate generative AI into consumer products. The Information Financial Times

Wccftech reports that TSMC is accelerating efforts to open an advanced packaging plant in Arizona, responding to surging demand from U.S. AI chipmakers for cutting-edge CoWoS (Chip-on-Wafer-on-Substrate) technology. The lack of domestic advanced packaging facilities has pushed some clients towards rival foundries, raising strategic concerns for the U.S. semiconductor supply chain. The Arizona plant could come online by the end of 2027, marking a significant shift in global chip manufacturing logistics. Wccftech

AMD is expected to launch new mid-range Ryzen AI Max chips next year, supporting LPDDR5X-8533 MT/s memory speeds, according to Wccftech. The refresh aims to extend AI capabilities to mainstream markets and maintain competitive parity with rival chipmakers focused on AI and graphics performance. Wccftech

A malicious package on the Rust registry crates.io—designed to steal cryptocurrency from Web3 developers—was removed following an alert from security researchers, as reported by DevOps.com. The incident underscores ongoing cybersecurity risks for developers in the blockchain and decentralized application space, and the increasing sophistication of supply chain attacks in open-source software. DevOps.com

SD Times covers a wave of activity in the AI sector: Anthropic has acquired Bun, a high-performance JavaScript toolkit, to bolster its Claude Code platform; OpenAI has launched GPT-5.1-Codex-Max for enhanced agentic coding; and Amazon has expanded its Bedrock platform with 18 new open-weight models including those from Google, Mistral, NVIDIA, and others. The rapid pace of acquisitions and product launches highlights the fierce competition to offer best-in-class AI infrastructure and tools for developers. SD Times

Politico Europe details the EU’s landmark €120 million fine against Elon Musk’s X (formerly Twitter) for breaching transparency rules under the Digital Services Act. European officials praised the move as overdue and a sign of resolve, while U.S. leaders, including Vice President JD Vance, sharply criticized it as protectionist and anti-American. The fine is seen as the first in a series of enforcement actions under new EU tech regulations and is likely to become a flashpoint in upcoming transatlantic trade talks. Politico Europe

Financial Times highlights mounting debate among fund managers over the EU’s controversial plan to use frozen Russian assets. Some warn the move could undermine confidence in the euro’s global status, as it sets a precedent for the potential politicization of central bank reserves and cross-border asset management. The proposal is being closely watched by international investors for its long-term implications on the euro’s reserve currency role. Financial Times