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Skydance closes its $110B Warner Bros. Discovery buyout

Paramount Skydance finished its takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery on Monday, with Larry Ellison's family backing the deal. Elsewhere, Goldman Sachs got more bullish on SpaceX ahead of earnings, and Michael Dell defended a new rule letting donors fund kids' federal savings accounts with company stock.

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Larry EllisonAcquisitionMediaPrivateAI read · ▲ Bet paying off

Paramount Skydance closes $110B Warner Bros. Discovery deal

The move

Paramount Skydance completed its roughly $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery on Oct. 6 and renamed the combined company Skydance Corporation. Netflix had an earlier agreed deal to buy Warner's studio and streaming business but walked away after Paramount's higher $31-per-share bid, collecting a $2.8 billion breakup fee that was written into the original agreement. Larry Ellison's family, together with RedBird Capital Partners, had committed to fully back a roughly $47 billion Paramount share sale tied to financing the deal.

Why it matters

The deal creates one of the largest media companies, combining Paramount+ and HBO Max, CBS News and CNN, and ties a large share of Ellison family wealth to how it performs.

The bear case

Paramount took on heavy debt and a massive share sale to fund the takeover; if streaming and ad growth disappoint, that leverage could weigh on the stock for years.

What to watch

Integration progress at the combined Skydance Corporation, and any further appeals tied to the state settlement that cleared the way for the merger to close.

Source · MoneywiseRead original ↗Report an error

Elon MuskIPO / MarketsAerospacePrivateAI read · ▲ Bullish bet

Goldman raises SpaceX price target to $230 before earnings

The move

Goldman Sachs raised its price target on SpaceX to $230 from $220 in an Oct. 7 note, keeping a Buy rating and implying about 45% upside from a $158.96 reference price. Goldman raised its SpaceX sales forecasts to roughly $51.6 billion for 2026, $127.5 billion for 2027 and $205.6 billion for 2028, and estimated AI-related revenue could reach $27.3 billion this year, rising to $146.7 billion by 2028. The note also cited Sensor Tower data showing Starlink's monthly active users up 21% year over year.

Why it matters

The upgrade reflects a Wall Street view that SpaceX's Starlink and AI-compute ambitions, not just rockets, are what will drive its valuation going forward.

The bear case

By the article's own math, SpaceX already trades at roughly 122 times this year's expected earnings at that reference price, a multiple that assumes years of fast, uninterrupted growth.

What to watch

SpaceX's upcoming earnings report, which Goldman's note was published ahead of.

Source · TheStreetRead original ↗Report an error

Michael DellPolicyOtherPrivateAI read · — Big philanthropic bet

Michael Dell defends letting donors gift stock to kids' accounts

The move

In an interview published Oct. 8, Michael Dell defended a rule change that lets donors fund children's federal Trump Accounts with individual company stocks rather than only low-cost index funds. Michael and Susan Dell pledged $6.25 billion to put $250 into the accounts of 25 million children; more than 10 million children have received the money so far, totaling $2.6 billion, with the rest expected by Friday. As of Oct. 1, the Treasury Department moved to automatic enrollment, and nearly 70 million children under 18 with a valid Social Security number now have an account, though parents or guardians must claim them.

Why it matters

It's one of the largest personal commitments tied to the new federal children's savings program, which just moved to automatic enrollment for tens of millions of kids.

The bear case

Critics say letting donors gift single stocks, instead of index funds, ties children's savings to the fortunes of one company and could let wealthy donors influence the price of the stocks they give.

What to watch

Whether the Dells' full $6.25 billion pledge is completed by the stated Friday deadline.

Source · Yahoo FinanceRead original ↗Report an error

Ken GriffinPolicyFinancePrivateAI read · — Pushback on caps

Griffin says credit-card rate caps would hurt risky borrowers

The move

In comments published Oct. 7, Citadel founder Ken Griffin argued against a proposed 10% cap on credit card interest rates, saying lenders that can't price for risk would stop lending to borrowers with weak credit scores altogether. Two bills that would extend a cap — one from Sanders and Hawley, another from Ocasio-Cortez and Luna — had not cleared committee as of the article. The Federal Reserve put the average interest rate on card accounts charged interest at 22.15% in May 2026, and the CFPB found the 10 largest card issuers hold more than 80% of outstanding balances.

Why it matters

The fight touches more than $1.2 trillion in U.S. card debt and could reshape credit access for lower-income borrowers if a cap becomes law.

The bear case

Supporters of a cap point to cases like Illinois' 36% rate ceiling, meant to protect consumers from rates that can trap them in long-term debt.

What to watch

Whether either congressional bill advances out of committee.

Source · BarchartRead original ↗Report an error

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