Global Markets: Bombardier's Woes, Diageo's Legal Battle, SocGen-Goldman Fund, and More

excerpt: A 50% tariff threat on Canadian jets, a Kenyan court case against Diageo's East Africa deal, Societe Generale's US equity fund, South African stocks' slide, Sandisk's continued rally, delayed trains, missing nickel trial verdict, Venezuela's dollar auction, LVMH's woes, and a $7.9 billion debt sale for Sealed Air's buyout - these were some of the major stories shaping global markets.

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Bombardier Inc., the Canadian private jet-maker, faced a setback in its bullish run as US President Donald Trump threatened to impose a 50% tariff on aircraft from Canada and decertify all new planes made there (Source 1). This came as a surprise to investors, potentially halting Bombardier's impressive rally.

Meanwhile, in East Africa, a Kenyan contractor filed a fresh case against Diageo Plc, asking a court to block its proposed sale of East African assets to Asahi Group Holdings Plc until a separate matter is resolved (Source 2). The ongoing legal battle could delay the completion of the deal.

Societe Generale SA's asset management unit is reportedly in discussions with Goldman Sachs about setting up an investment fund focused on US equities (Source 3). This potential partnership could strengthen SocGen's presence in the US market.

South African stocks plunged the most since April due to a selloff across precious metals (Source 4). Mining shares were hit particularly hard, causing significant losses for investors.

Digital storage company Sandisk Corp.'s strong revenue and earnings outlook continued to fuel a blistering rally, making it the top performing stock in the S&P 500 Index (Source 5). Investors remain optimistic about Sandisk's future growth prospects.

New Jersey Transit rail service in and out of New York’s Penn Station was subject to large delays due to a blocked tunnel (Source 6). Commuters faced another frustrating week, adding to the woes of the already strained transportation system.

Trafigura Group announced a victory in its bid to hold Prateek Gupta responsible for $600 million of missing nickel (Source 7). The trading house now has a chance to recoup some of the losses it suffered due to Gupta's actions.

Venezuela's resumption of dollar sales was too limited and unpredictable to stabilize the bolivar, keeping the parallel market for dollars under pressure (Source 8). The unsteady dollar auctions have failed to alleviate the economic turmoil in Venezuela.

LVMH resurfaced as a problem for French stocks after a brief respite last year (Source 9). The luxury goods conglomerate's struggles have weighed heavily on the French stock market.

Banks are preparing to sell about $7.9 billion in debt to finance Clayton Dubilier & Rice's buyout of packaging firm Sealed Air Corp. (Source 10). This significant debt sale is expected to close as early as February.

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