ACQUISITION ALERT π¨
$MSFT backed OpenAI has acquired search and database analytics firm Rockset for an undisclosed sum. Rockset said it will become a part of OpenAI and power the retrieval infrastructure of the ChatGPT maker's products.
LAWSUIT ALERT π¨
U.S. drugmaker Eli Lilly, $LLY, is suing six more entities including medical spas and wellness centers for selling products claiming to contain tirzepatide, the active ingredient in its popular diabetes drug, Mounjaro.
ACQUISITION ALERT π¨
Boston Scientific, $BSX, has agreed to acquire Silk Road Medical, $SILK, for $1.16B. Silk Road is a leading innovator in stroke prevention tech for patients with carotid artery disease. The acquisition strengthens $BSX in the vascular medicine field.
BANKRUPTCY UPDATE π¨
$AMZN, Amazon aggregator Thrasio has emerged from the CH.11 bankruptcy and appointed Stephanie Fox as its chief executive officer. Thrasio, which acquires third-party sellers on Amazon, said it would now focus on profitability.
ACQUISITION ALERT π¨
TravelPerk, the hyper-growth global business travel management platform, has acquired the industry-leading United States company AmTrav, doubling down on its expansion in the US. The acquisition will see TravelPerk double its revenue in the US.
LAWSUIT ALERT π¨
A new class action claims that $COST, Costco lies to customers when it claims it will always disclose when a product is more expensive on its website than in stores. The plaintiff seeks certification of the class action, damages, fees, costs and a jury trial.
LAWSUIT ALERT π¨
The FTC has alleged that $ADBE made it knowingly hard to cancel subscriptions, βtrapping usersοΏ½οΏ½ in expensive contracts. Its claimed Adobe steered customers to its βannual paid monthlyβ subscription without disclosing cancellation fees that rise to the hundreds.
BANKRUPTCY ALERT π¨
EV startup $FSRN, Fisker, has filed for bankruptcy protection as it looks to salvage its operations by selling assets and restructuring its debt. The EV market has seen several companies hit bankruptcy due to weakening demand, fundraising hurdles and more.
LAWSUIT ALERT π¨
$AMZN is facing a class action lawsuit for allegedly monopolising the retail market for audiobooks. The lawsuit claims that this has resulted in authors overpaying for the distribution of their works. Amazon set charges authors at least 60% of the sale price.
MEGER ALERT π¨
Primo Water and BlueTriton Brand, the parent of Poland Spring and Deer Park water brands, announced an agreement to merge, which would create a water giant with $6.5B in annual revenue.
Primo Water's shareholders would likely own 43% with BlueTriton owning 57%.
ACQUISITION ALERT π¨
Sony Pictures Entertainment is getting into the exhibition business with its acquisition of theater chain Alamo Drafthouse Cinema. $SONY said it will continue to welcome content from all studios and distributors at the dine-in theaters.
BANKRUPTCY ALERT π¨
Bus company Coach USA, owner of the Megabus brand and commuter bus lines connecting New York and New Jersey, has filed for CH.11 bankruptcy saying it was unable to recover from a decline in ridership brought on by the pandemic.
MERGER UPDATE π¨
Merger discussions between National Amusements, which controls $PARA, and Skydance Media have ended without a deal. The two companies have not been able to reach mutually acceptable terms, ending months of speculation.
Who's next in line for Paramount? π€
LAWSUIT UPDATE π¨
Elon Musk has dropped his lawsuit against OpenAI, claiming it abandoned its mission for humanity's benefit to prioritize profit for $MSFT. Filed in Feb, the suit sought to prevent profits from OpenAI's AGI tech.
BANKRUPTCY ALERT π¨
Vyaire Medical, a company that makes ventilators and respiratory diagnostics equipment, has filed for CH.11 bankruptcy. Vyaire struggled to refinance its debt after poor performance but plans to remain open while selling some of its business units.
BANKRUPTCY UPDATE π¨
$WEWKQ, WeWork CEO David Tolley has stepped down after the flexible workspace provider emerged from bankruptcy today, bookending a months-long global restructuring process.
The company officially named John Santora as new CEO, effective tomorrow, June 12th
ACQUISITION ALERT π¨
$HOOD, Robinhood, has announced agreement to acquire Bitstamp, a global cryptocurrency exchange, for approximately $200M. The move is expected to close in the first half of 2025 and aims to bolster their presence in the crypto market.
BANKRUPTCY ALERT π¨
$NCU, Nevada Copper Corp. and its subsidiaries have filed a voluntary petition for relief under CH.11 bankruptcy. The company was in discussions with its stakeholders to obtain funding and/or enter into a change of control transaction but they fizzled out.
LAWSUIT ALERT π¨
A lawsuit was filed in Missouri against $TAP, Molson Coors Beverage Company, alleging it misled consumers with the marketing of its "Mimosa Hard Seltzer". The beverage contains minimal orange juice and no sparkling wine despite marketing suggesting otherwise.
LAWSUIT ALERT π¨
Westchester County, NY, has sued BARK Air, the first dog air travel service, over airport-use violations for operating a 14-seat jet from the private terminal. $BARK says operations won't be impacted. Other airlines have similar claims pending in federal court.