1. Apollo to Acquire Restaurant Group
2. Rent the Runway Shares Plunge 86%
3. GM U.S. Sales Surpass China for First Time
4. RBC Eyes U.S. Expansion Amid M&A Hunt
5. BlackRock Cuts 600 Jobs Globally
6. Citi Becomes Analysts’ New Favorite Bank Stock
7. Gramercy Increases Bets on Distressed Chinese Debt
1. Apollo to Acquire Restaurant Group
Private equity giant Apollo Global Management is acquiring The Restaurant Group, with One Investment Management (OneIM) providing a $382 million acquisition loan.
The loan package includes both senior and junior debt, maturing in 2030 and yielding 6.5% above benchmark rates. It will be sold at a 2% discount to face value.
OneIM, which was launched in 2022, focuses on leveraged buyout lending—a market traditionally dominated by banks. Major backers include Abu Dhabi’s Royal Group and Mubadala Investment.
Notably, OneIM also previously lent to the now-bankrupt WeWork.
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1. Apollo to Acquire Restaurant Group
Private equity giant Apollo Global Management is acquiring The Restaurant Group, with One Investment Management (OneIM) providing a $382 million acquisition loan.
The loan package includes both senior and junior debt, maturing in 2030 and yielding 6.5% above benchmark rates. It will be sold at a 2% discount to face value.
OneIM, which was launched in 2022, focuses on leveraged buyout lending—a market traditionally dominated by banks. Major backers include Abu Dhabi’s Royal Group and Mubadala Investment.
Notably, OneIM also previously lent to the now-bankrupt WeWork.
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2. Rent the Runway Shares Plunge 86%
Fashion rental company Rent the Runway is cutting 10% of its workforce as subscription growth slows. COO Anushka Salinas will resign by Jan 31, with CEO Jennifer Hyman assuming her responsibilities.
Over the past year, the company’s shares have plummeted more than 86%, and revenue has declined for two consecutive quarters.
Restructuring will cost between $3–4 million, but could save $11–13 million annually.
The downturn reflects economic headwinds facing discretionary fashion spending.
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4. RBC Eyes U.S. Expansion Amid M&A Hunt
Royal Bank of Canada CEO Dave McKay told attendees at the RBC Capital Markets conference that the bank is seeking U.S. wealth management and commercial banking acquisition targets—though opportunities are currently limited.
RBC recently gained government approval to acquire HSBC’s Canadian business for $10.1 billion, expected to close in Q1.
RBC will also end its dividend reinvestment program and return excess capital to shareholders through payouts.
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5. BlackRock Cuts 600 Jobs Globally
BlackRock will cut 3% of its global workforce—about 600 employees—according to a memo from CEO Larry Fink and President Rob Kapito. The move aims to reallocate resources amid “historic industry shifts.”
Despite the cuts, BlackRock expects to end 2024 with more employees, as hiring will continue in select divisions.
The firm also aims to double revenue from alternative investments within five years.
Over the past two years, BlackRock has weathered simultaneous downturns in equity and bond markets.
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6. Citi Becomes Analysts’ New Favorite Bank Stock
According to Bloomberg data, since May 2022, Citigroup’s stock had consistently been rated the worst among the six major U.S. banks.
However, this week HSBC analyst Saul Martinez reshuffled the rankings of major bank stocks — upgrading Citi’s rating while downgrading Morgan Stanley’s, which now takes the bottom spot.
Many bank analysts have raised Citigroup’s ratings in their 2024 stock reviews. Wells Fargo’s Mike Mayo even ranked Citi at the top and predicted its stock price could double in the coming years.
Many analysts expect Citi’s stock price to rise about 8% over the next 12 months.
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7. Gramercy Increases Bets on Distressed Chinese Debt
Gramercy, a fund focused on emerging markets, is doubling down on distressed Chinese real estate bonds after strong gains in 2023.
Founder Robert Koenigsberger says developer bonds like Country Garden’s are trading at just 8% of face value—offering triple-digit upside if restructurings succeed.
He sees real estate as too important to China’s economy (25–30% of GDP) to remain down forever, though restructuring—not liquidation—is key.
Buying bonds at 5% of face value with even modest recovery could deliver outsized returns.
Gramercy’s flagship multi-strategy fund returned 16.7% last year.
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This content is sourced from Financial Times, Bloomberg, and The Real Deal, among other financial news outlets.