Record-Breaking Stocks: AC Milan Refinances Debt, French Economy Grows, and South African Rally Expands

AC Milan's parent company, RedBird Capital Partners, has refinanced a vendor loan provided by Elliott Management Corp. with a new €700 million debt facility. The move comes as the football club faces financial challenges, but the new funding should help alleviate some of the pressure (Source 1).

Meanwhile, South African equities are experiencing their longest monthly winning streak on record. The powerful commodities-driven rally is now expanding beyond metals, as optimism grows that other sectors will join the upward trend (Source 2).

France's economy continued to grow at the end of last year, despite political upheaval and the risk of austerity measures. The resilience of the French economy is a positive sign, especially given the current global economic climate (Source 3).

Defense stocks in India have seen a surge, with a Nifty gauge up over 8% this week. The spike in defense stocks comes as tensions between India and China remain high, making defense-related companies an attractive investment option (Source 4).

However, not all sectors are experiencing growth. Wall Street's booming year may not be enough to save New York City's finances, according to Mayor Zohran Mamdani. Mamdani has warned of a looming financial crisis that could be worse than the Great Recession more than a decade ago (Source 5).

Nintendo's Switch 2 may face challenges despite being the fastest-selling game console of all time. Growing investor fears about skyrocketing memory prices could threaten the strength of Nintendo's stock (Source 6).

East African Breweries Plc, a Diageo unit, saw its first-half profit jump 38% due to lower finance costs. The strong financial performance of East African Breweries is a positive sign for Diageo and the East African market as a whole (Source 7).

Insurance platform Ethos Technologies Inc. saw its shares drop 15% in their trading debut, despite raising roughly $200 million in an initial public offering. The disappointing debut could be a sign of investor uncertainty in the insurance technology sector (Source 8).

Jim Murphy's lobbying firm, Arden Strategies, apologized for errors in promotional material for a tech event. The material offered a photo opportunity with a minister and a VIP dinner for £30,000 (Source 9).

Finally, Blackstone-backed Liftoff Mobile Inc. is seeking to raise as much as $762 million in an initial public offering. The company, which helps place ads within mobile applications, could see significant growth in the mobile advertising market (Source 10).

Sources:

1. "AC Milan Owner Refinances Elliott Loan With €700 Million Funding" - Bloomberg
2. "South African Stocks’ Record Monthly Run Moves Beyond Metals" - Bloomberg
3. "French Economy Keeps Growing Despite Political and Budget Chaos" - Bloomberg
4. "India’s Defense Stocks Are Back in the Spotlight on EU Trade Pact" - Bloomberg
5. "Wall Street Bonanza Won’t Save NYC’s Finances, Mamdani Warns" - Bloomberg
6. "Nintendo Switch 2’s Strength Threatened by Memory ‘Horror Show’" - Bloomberg
7. "Diageo East Africa’s Six-Month Profit Jumps 38% on Lower Costs" - Bloomberg
8. "Insurance Platform Ethos Shares Fall 15% in US Public Offering" - Bloomberg
9. "Ex-Labour MP's lobbying firm offered photo with minister and VIP dinner for £30k" - The Guardian
10. "Blackstone-Backed Liftoff Mobile Seeks $762 Million in US IPO" - Bloomberg