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Marvell buys Lumentum in $115bn AI deal · Global Advisors Daily Business News

• 0:10
  Welcome to Global Advisors Daily Business News. I'm Sam. Today is Tuesday, the third of November 2026. Let's explore today's business headlines and what they mean for leaders. Please hit like and subscribe for daily updates if you find this useful.
• 0:29
  Marvell Technology and Lumentum have entered a definitive agreement for an all-stock transaction with an implied enterprise value of 115 billion dollars. The companies say this consolidation aims to create a leader in A.I connectivity, bringing together two key players in the data center hardware space.
• 0:47
  Under the terms, Lumentum shareholders will receive Marvell shares in an exchange that represents a 23.9 percent premium. This structure results in Marvell stockholders owning the majority of the combined company on a fully diluted basis.
• 1:02
  The companies project that the combined total addressable market will expand to 550 billion dollars. They also anticipate a path to significant annual run-rate cost synergies, highlighting the financial logic behind the merger.
• 1:16
  This deal follows Marvell's earlier acquisition of Celestial A.I in February, a move designed to bolster its photonics business amid rising demand for optical links in A.I data centers. Marvell's annual revenue has grown substantially since fiscal 2021, reflecting the rapid expansion in this sector.
• 1:34
  The companies say the transaction is expected to close in the first half of calendar year 2028, subject to stockholder and regulatory approvals. If completed, it will significantly reshape the landscape for A.I infrastructure components.
• 1:53
  A wave of cyberattacks on refrigeration systems has disrupted grocery supply chains across Europe. In Sweden, the Netherlands, Belgium, Ireland, Luxembourg, and Estonia, hackers caused temperature spikes that spoiled perishable goods. The damage is not just theoretical. In Belgium, Luc De Laet, founder of De Laet and Van Haver, reported that attackers remotely raised fridge temperatures to eighteen degrees Celsius.
• 2:16
  He says this resulted in significant losses of spoiled meat. De Laet suggests the hackers aimed to destabilise European economies, though authorities have not confirmed this motive.
• 2:26
  The scale of the disruption is becoming clear. Food wholesaler Musgrave reported that refrigeration systems in thirteen SuperValu stores in Ireland were affected, forcing the removal of chilled and frozen products. These incidents follow a previous attack in France, where police cited reports that hackers seized control of cooling units at hundreds of supermarkets. In that case, extreme temperature rises caused fires.
• 2:49
  Now, investigators are looking at the underlying vulnerabilities. John Billow, head of Sweden's national cybersecurity center, says his team is investigating multiple incidents. He has identified many exposed operational technology devices that require updates or patches. This highlights a critical gap in how physical infrastructure is secured against digital threats.
• 3:15
  Apollo has launched a new private credit platform in Europe, designed to lend directly to companies and finance assets across a wide range of markets. This initiative, known as the European Credit Company, comes with a substantial lending capacity of ten billion euros, or roughly eleven billion dollars. The move signals a deepening commitment by the asset manager to expand its footprint in the European debt landscape.
• 3:37
  The platform is not operating in isolation; it has secured backing from the Abu Dhabi Investment Council, a sovereign wealth fund. This partnership follows Apollo's recent agreement to acquire a stake in Mubadala Capital, another Abu Dhabi-based entity. Beyond these Gulf state backers, the venture has attracted other strategic partners, including Athora, Norinchukin Bank, Standard Chartered, and Aranda Principal Strategies.
• 4:00
  The European Credit Company will focus on performing credit across both large and mid-market sectors. Its strategy involves corporate and asset-backed lending, as well as providing loans to owners of real assets in infrastructure and real estate. This broad approach allows Apollo to target diverse opportunities within the European economy.
• 4:20
  This launch arrives as the private credit market gains significant traction. Companies are increasingly seeking alternatives to traditional bank financing, a trend driven largely by regulatory changes that have made banks more risk-averse. By stepping into this gap, Apollo aims to provide the capital that European businesses need, leveraging its new platform to serve as a flexible and robust lender in a shifting financial environment.
• 4:48
  For over seventy years, the stock market has followed a remarkably consistent pattern after midterm elections. United States stocks have historically gained in the six months following the vote, with the last decline occurring way back in 1946. A study by JPMorgan confirms this perfect record, finding positive returns in all nineteen midterm cycles between 1950 and 2022, averaging a fifteen percent gain over the following year.
• 5:14
  However, analysts warn that this streak could finally break due to significant headwinds. Rising oil prices, driven by speculation about potential United States military action against Iran, are creating uncertainty. Additionally, JPMorgan strategists note that the usual setup for a post-election rally is missing this time.
• 5:33
  Typically, strong performance follows a weak pre-election run-up, but the recent decline in the S and P 500 was only nine percent, significantly less than the historical average.
• 5:44
  The concern is that fading uncertainty, which usually boosts markets after elections, may be overshadowed by tech sector volatility. The October sell-off, driven by worries about artificial intelligence returns, could weaken the traditional bounce.
• 5:57
  While historical data from Carson Investment Research suggests the S and P 500 performs better under a Republican president with a split Congress compared to unified Democratic control, the current mix of geopolitical tension and A.I jitters makes this year's outcome far less predictable.
• 6:20
  Binance is facing a significant wave of user withdrawals after reopening its platform following a record-breaking hack. The exchange, which suffered a six point three billion dollar theft that the FBI has linked to North Korea, saw three point six billion dollars in net outflows as customers rushed to move their assets.
• 6:37
  This surge occurred shortly after the company restored withdrawal services, marking a critical test of user confidence in the world's largest crypto exchange.
• 6:47
  The scale of the movement was stark. While the initial rush was intense, the flow of funds began to stabilize as the day progressed. The withdrawals covered tokens across multiple networks, including Bitcoin and Ethereum, with the stablecoin USDT seeing the largest share of the outflows.
• 7:02
  However, the exact figure remains a point of contention. Data from the analytics platform DefiLlama suggested even higher net outflows, reaching five point eight billion dollars over a twenty-four hour period. In response, a Binance spokesperson stated that their internal data excludes funds moved to new hot wallets and insisted that their public updates were the most accurate reflection of the situation.
• 7:24
  This discrepancy highlights the challenges in tracking real-time liquidity during a crisis of this magnitude.
• 7:36
  Apple is warning investors that its profit margins will take a hit during the upcoming holiday quarter. The company points to two main culprits: the rising cost of memory chips and the expenses associated with rolling out its new Siri A.I features. This forecast comes even as Apple reports record revenue, highlighting a tension between top-line growth and bottom-line profitability.
• 7:57
  To understand the scale, look at the most recent quarter. Despite generating record revenue, Apple's gross margin slipped to forty seven point nine percent. Chief Financial Officer Kevan Parekh explained that higher memory costs were the primary driver of this decline.
• 8:12
  Looking ahead, Parekh forecasts that gross margins will fall further, landing between forty five and forty six percent for the first quarter of twenty twenty seven. He attributes this expected drop to the continued pressure from memory prices and the specific financial mechanics of the Siri A.I rollout.
• 8:29
  According to Parekh, Siri A.I impacts margins by increasing cloud infrastructure costs and requiring Apple to recognize revenue over the lifetime of the device rather than upfront.
• 8:40
  The situation with memory chips appears particularly challenging. Chief Executive John Ternus described the current pricing environment as unprecedented, expecting costs to keep rising beyond the December quarter. While Apple has been benefiting from carrying lower-cost inventory, Ternus warned that this advantage will diminish over time.
• 8:58
  The company did not specify if further price hikes are expected, but the tone suggests a sustained squeeze on profitability.
• 9:11
  Investors are bracing for further market turbulence at the start of the week following a steep sell-off of technology stocks. The focus now shifts to two major catalysts: marquee corporate earnings and the upcoming United States midterm election results. Early signs of this cautious sentiment were visible on Sunday night, when S and P 500 futures rose slightly, even as Australian stocks and Japan's benchmark index fell.
• 9:33
  While the current volatility feels intense, historical data suggests elections may not be the market disruptors many fear. According to the Franklin Institute, the S and P 500 has averaged a 14.9 percent gain over the twelve months following a midterm election, based on ten such cycles under a Republican president since 1954.
• 9:53
  Chris Galipeau, a portfolio manager, argues that politics historically have less influence on equity markets than investors believe, noting that the reality after midterms is often quite different from the pre-election anxiety.
• 10:11
  Starbucks is officially changing the narrative. Chief Executive Brian Niccol has announced that the company's 'Back to Starbucks' initiative is no longer just a rescue mission. It has shifted from a turnaround plan into a full-fledged growth strategy.
• 10:25
  This pivot follows a period of uneven performance, but the tide has turned. Niccol has delivered three consecutive earnings beats, suggesting that operational changes are finally bearing fruit. These adjustments included adding more staff to stores and streamlining the menu to reduce complexity.
• 10:42
  The results are moving faster than expected. Niccol reports that the company is now a year ahead of schedule relative to its fiscal 2028 guidance. This acceleration is driven by improved customer service and a redesigned digital rewards program that better engages loyal drinkers.
• 10:58
  Product innovation is also playing a key role. Niccol attributes business strength to menu additions like protein cold foam and iced Refreshers. Combined with targeted marketing, these efforts have pushed brand affinity to near-record levels.
• 11:12
  However, Wall Street remains cautious. Jim Cramer's Charitable Trust notes that investors are looking for continued sales momentum to translate into stronger profits. With shares trading at 33 times forward earnings, the valuation debate continues even as the company's operational story improves.
• 11:30
  That's it from me, Sam. Thanks for listening. Follow the show on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, or your favourite podcast platform, and join our WhatsApp channel for free updates. Until next time.