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Briefing Notes
Banking & Finance
Goldman Sachs Weighs Potential $5.4 Billion Debt Offering for Blackstone-Backed QTS Data Centre Tied to Microsoft
AI is stress-testing summer credit markets with one data centre deal alone.
Regulation
EU Pursues Payment Sovereignty with Digital Euro and Account-to-Account Scheme as UK's Barclays, NatWest, Lloyds and HSBC Back FCA-Regulated Alternative to US Card Networks
Card network alternatives are now a regulatory priority, not just a fintech ambition.
M&A
UK PE Take-Privates Hit 20% of Realised Deal Value in H1 2026 as LSE Delistings Outpace New Listings for Fourth Consecutive Year
UK PE is replacing the public market as the default exit route.
Energy & Tech
Ryanair Signs Five-Year Google Cloud Deal to Support 300 Million Passenger Target as Dual-Cloud Strategy Cuts Outage Risk
Dual-cloud is now a resilience strategy, not just a procurement preference.
International
New Zealand's ASB Bank Files Covered Bond Programme Supplement via London Stock Exchange and FCA's National Storage Mechanism
London remains the default venue for international covered bond disclosure, FCA or not.