Good afternoon,
We’ve hit February already, and the momentum in the financial world isn’t slowing down. From Zuckerberg making a move to Miami to the return of century-long debt at Google, the narrative is shifting toward long-term positioning and massive liquidity.
It’s a big week for the space. Morgan Stanley is gearing up for a major IPO, and MrBeast is officially entering the fintech arena by acquiring a banking app. The era of the creator-banker is truly here.
We’re also keeping a close eye on the private markets. Blue Owl is facing some pressure, reminding us that even the biggest names aren't immune to market volatility.
Let's look at the numbers.
The Pulse
As of 2/9/2026 market close.
Markets
Equity markets in the US found their footing as tech stocks stabilized after last week’s volatility.
The Dow managed to hit its second record high in a row.
The rally in Asia continues with both Korea and Japan seeing record-breaking gains.
The British pound dropped 0.7% as political uncertainty surrounds Prime Minister Starmer.
Bullish bets on the Australian dollar are at an eight-year high after the RBA hiked rates again.
Earnings
This week's lineup:
Today: Coca Cola, Spotify, Ford
Wednesday: McDonald's, Shopify,Kraft Heinz
Thursday: Coinbase, Brookfield, Rivian
Friday: Moderna, Wendy's
See the full calendar here.
Prediction Markets
One seat. One title. (Polymarket)
Headline Hunt
The US is looking to exempt Big Tech from the upcoming chip tariffs (FT).
China has told its banks to scale back their US Treasury holdings due to volatility (BBG).
Korean stocks remain relatively cheap even after a massive $1.7T rally (BBG).
Short selling on individual stocks reached a record high during the recent market dip (BBG).
US IPO activity is expected to jump to $160B this year (RT).
The bear market in Japanese bonds is pushing companies toward convertible debt (BBG).
Big Tech firms are in a race to fund a staggering $660B in AI spending (FT).
Blue Owl is facing a potential margin call after its founders pledged a $1.9B stake (BBG).
Apollo managed to avoid the recent PE slump by staying away from software deals (FT).
Morgan Stanley has brought back veteran Michael Grimes to lead the SpaceX IPO (WSJ).
Monthly growth for ChatGPT is back above the 10% mark (CNBC).
The trial over social media addiction has begun with Mark Zuckerberg expected to testify (RT).
Zuckerberg has officially left California for a $200M estate in Miami (WSJ).
The Deal Room
M&A / Investments
Advent and FedEx are looking to acquire InPost in a cash deal worth $9.3B.
Transocean is buying its competitor Valaris in a $5.8B all stock merger.
CVC is set to acquire a health and nutrition unit from DSM-Firmenich for $2.6B.
Uber has agreed to acquire the delivery unit of Getir for $435M.
Beast Industries, owned by MrBeast, has acquired the banking app Step.
Venture Flow
Stripe is looking to facilitate a secondary share sale at a $140B valuation.
Legal AI firm Harvey is raising new funds at an $11B valuation.
Jump Trading is taking stakes in Polymarket and Kalshi, which are both valued at roughly $10B.
IPO / Direct Listings / Issuances / Block Trades
Bain Capital sold a $2.3B block of shares in Coherent at a small discount.
The Debt Desk
Alphabet saw massive demand for its debt sale, which includes a 100-year bond and is expected to raise over $20B.
Firmus secured a $10B debt package with help from Blackstone and Coatue.
Brazil successfully raised $4.5B through a new dollar bond issuance.
Funds
La Caisse is looking to offload $1.5B worth of private equity stakes focused on China.
A former General Atlantic executive has launched Layer Global with more than $1B in capital.
Crypto Corner
An active exploiter wallet resurfaces to execute a $13 million Ethereum purchase.
Coinbase's latest Super Bowl campaign sparks a wave of mixed reactions from the public.
Tether’s gold reserves reach a new milestone, surpassing a $23 billion valuation.
Bitcoin miner Cango sells 4,451 BTC.
Crypto exchange Backpack releases the official blueprint for its tokenomics and ecosystem.
Today’s Meme Pick
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