Finance

Dealmaking activity shows Trump tariffs derailed a budding M&A boom

Published

3 weeks ago

May 22, 2025

Business Finance News

People walk by the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on June 18, 2024 in New York City.

Spencer Platt | Getty Images

Hopes for an active year of mergers and acquisitions could be back on track after being briefly derailed by the Trump administration’s sweeping tariff policies last month.

Dealmaking in the U.S. was off to a strong start this year before President Donald Trump announced tariff policies that led to extremely volatile market conditions that put a chill on activity. In a pre-tariffs world, dealmakers were encouraged by the Trump administration’s pro-business flavor and deregulatory agenda, as well as previously easing concerns about inflation. Those trends were expected to fuel an even stronger M&A comeback in 2025, after last year’s moderate recovery from a slow 2023.

This year’s appetite for dealmaking came back quickly after Trump suspended his highest tariffs and market jitters took a backseat. If borrowing costs remain in check, many expect activity could be brisk.

“More clarity on trade policy and rebounding equities markets have set the stage for continued M&A, even in sectors hit especially hard by tariffs,” Kevin Ketcham, a mergers and acquisitions analyst at Mergermarket, told CNBC.

The total value of U.S. deals jumped to more than $227 billion in March, which saw 586 deals, before suddenly slowing down in April to roughly 650 deals worth about $134 billion, according to data compiled by Mergermarket.

So far this month, activity is rebounding and the average deal has been larger. More than 300 deals collectively valued at more than $125 billion have been struck this month as of May 20, Mergermarket said.

That’s encouraging. After Trump’s “liberation day” tariff announcement, U.S. deal activity plunged by 66% to $9 billion during the first week of April from the prior week, while global M&A activity dropped by 14% week over week to $37.8 billion, according to the data.

Charles Corpening, chief investment officer of private equity firm West Lane Partners, anticipates M&A activity to pick up after the summer.

“The trade war has indeed caused a slowdown in the anticipated M&A boom earlier this year, particularly in the second quarter,” Corpening said.

Higher bond yields are also hurting activity in the U.S. given that higher rates translate into greater financing costs, which reduces asset prices, he said.

Corpening expects greater interest towards special situations M&A, or deals that involve a motivated seller and tend to be flexible with their structure and terms, as well as smaller transactions, which are easier to finance and generally face less regulatory scrutiny.

“We’re beginning to see signs of recovery and we’re getting some clarity on the types of deals that are likely to get into the pipeline soonest,” Corpening said. “We anticipate that these earlier transactions will lean toward special situations as the better-performing businesses will wait for more market stability in order to maximize sale price.”

Several major deals have been announced in recent months, with large transactions occurring in tech, telecommunications and utilities so far this year.

Some of the biggest include:

According to Ketcham, the Dick’s-Foot Locker deal “likely isn’t an outlier” given that Victoria’s Secret on Tuesday adopted a “poison pill” plan. Such a limited-duration shareholder rights plan suggests the lingerie retailer is concerned about the threat of a potential takeover, he said.

Ketcham added that some consumer companies are adapting to the new macroeconomic environment instead of pausing dealmaking. He cited packaged food giant Kraft Heinz confirmation on Thursday that it has been evaluating potential transactions over the past several months as an example. Kraft Heinz said it would consider selling off some of its slower growing brands or buying a brands in some of its core categories such as sauces and snacks.

This kind of trend would lead to smaller deals, which has already been seen this year. For example, PepsiCo scooped up Poppi, a prebiotic soda brand, for $1.95 billion in March.

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Uranium as big play due to AI-driven energy demand

Published

5 hours ago

June 14, 2025

Business Finance News

Uranium is having a “glow up” moment… will it last?

The uranium trade’s shelf life may last years.

According to Sprott Asset Management CEO John Ciampaglia, a “real shift” upward is underway due to increasing global energy demand — particularly as major tech companies look to power artificial intelligence data centers.

“We’ve been talking about uranium and nuclear energy non-stop for four years at Sprott, and we’ve been incredibly bullish on the segment,” he told CNBC’s “ETF Edge” this week.

Ciampaglia’s firm runs the Sprott Physical Uranium Trust (SRUUF), which Morningstar ranks as the world’s largest physical uranium fund. It’s up 22% over the past two months.

The firm is also behind the Sprott Uranium Miners ETF (URNM), which is up almost 38% over the past two months. The Sprott website lists Cameco and NAC Kazatomprom JSC as the top two holdings in the fund as of June 12.

“It’s [uranium] a reliable form of energy. It has zero greenhouse gases. It has a very good long-term track record,” Ciampaglia said. “It provides a lot of electricity on a large scale, and that’s right now what the grid is calling for.”

Ciampaglia finds attitudes are changing toward nuclear energy because it offers energy security with a low carbon footprint. Uranium is “incredibly energy-dense” compared to most fossil fuels, he said, which makes it a promising option to ensure energy security.

He cited the 2022 energy crisis in Europe after Russia cut its oil supply to the region and April’s grid failure in Spain and Portugal as cases for more secure energy sources.

“We think this trend is long term and secular and durable,” Ciampaglia said. “With the exception of Germany, I think every country around the world has flipped back to nuclear power, which is a very powerful signal.”

‘You need reliable power’

VanEck CEO Jan van Eck is also heavily involved in the uranium space.

“You need reliable power,” he said. “These data centers can’t go down for a fraction of a second. They need to be running all the time.”

His firm is behind the VanEck Uranium and Nuclear ETF (NLR), which is up about 42% over the past two months. According to VanEck’s website as of June 12, its top three holdings are Oklo, Nuscale Power and Constellation Energy.

But he contends there’s a potential downside to the uranium trade: Building new nuclear power plants can take years.

“What’s going to happen in the meantime?” Van Eck said. “Investors are not patient, as we know.”

Van Eck also thinks it’s possible the Trump administration’s positive attitude toward nuclear power could fast track development.

He highlighted nuclear technology company Oklo during the interview. Its shares soared on Wednesday after the company announced it was anticipating a deal with the Air Force to supply nuclear power to a base in Alaska.

The agreement came not long after President Donald Trump in May signed a series of executive orders to rework the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, expedite new reactor construction and expand the domestic uranium industry.

“Trump controls federal land, so that’s not a NIMBY [not in my backyard] kind of potential risk,” said Van Eck. “They’re going to leverage that hard to start to show the safety of these newer, smaller technologies.”

Finance

Amazon is selling an $800 portable power station for $550, and shoppers 'love the mobile design and durability'

Published

16 hours ago

June 14, 2025

Business Finance News

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Camping is a fun summer activity. What’s not fun is having no access to electricity. You can’t charge your phone, watch TV, or make your morning cup of coffee. Thankfully, portable power stations allow you to do all that and more. It’s literally like bringing along a giant battery for all of your electronics. Portable power stations are also good to have around your home in case of power outages.

There’s just the problem of price. Portable power stations are notoriously expensive, especially ones that have a larger energy storage capacity. The good news is that we were able to find a solid deal on a 1,056-watt-hour (or 1 kilowatt-hour) power station. This $800 Anker Solix C1000 Portable Power Station is $550 at Amazon for a limited time. At 31% off, you’re saving $250.

Anker Solix C1000 Portable Power Station, $550 (was $800) at Amazon

The Anker Solix C1000 features a power output of 1,800 watts, making it strong enough to handle multiple electronics and small appliances at once. It has 11total power ports. You get two USB-A and USB-C ports, a car socket, and six AC outlets. Additionally, it also functions as a night light and has a handle for easy carrying. It weighs about 28 pounds.

Now let’s talk about charging. There are two ways you can charge the Anker Solix C1000. The first way is just by plugging it into a standard AC wall outlet. Or if you have the portable solar panels (sold separately), you simply connect the wires and place the panels in the sun. When plugged into an AC outlet, your power station can be fully charged in about an hour. If you charge up with solar, it’ll likely take around two hours. The digital display on the front of the power station shows you the battery and charging status.

Shoppers have found multiple uses for this portable power station. “We bought it mainly for short power outages and to run our refrigerator, but it will have many other uses for sure,” one shopper said. “Just this past week, I had to do some repairs to our floating dock, and there is no extension cord long enough to reach, so I brought this Anker Solix C1000 and it powered our two saws and drills without any issue at all. It’s very cool and has lots of different outlets. Very impressive unit!”

Others say they get daily use out of it. “I love it. I use it every day. I am traveling and camping everywhere,” one shopper shared. “I use it to power a car mobile refrigerator, a little portable air conditioner, and of course, my iPhone and other electronics, and sometimes an electric stove. It can take on all tasks with no problem. I love the mobile design and durability.”

You don’t need to be ‘roughing it’ the next time you go camping. Consider grabbing the Anker Solix C1000 Portable Power Station to keep all your devices charged and bring along a few essentials for the kitchen or living room. You’ll feel like you never left home.