Bodies of Missing Fishermen Found

Good Morning,

WikiLeaks’ Julian Assange pleads guilty in deal with US that secures his freedom, ends legal fight, New Zealand First leader Winston Peters has responded to questions about his approach to the Covid-19 inquiry with verbal attacks on the commissioners, academics and the media, Highly respected rugby referee and father one of the three dead fishermen & Prosecutors reject Trump’s bid to toss documents case due to ‘haphazard storage’.

Let's jump in.

Before The Bell

Markets

• A six-month home loan fix could be an option worth considering, economists at the country's biggest bank say, because "significant falls" in mortgage rates may lie ahead. (RNZ)

• The Reserve Bank of Australia board is now only one more bad inflation report away from doing what it really doesn’t want to: raise interest rates before the federal election. (AFR)

Earnings and Data

• Many Australians are selling their homes for big profits, with new data released today showing resales have reached their highest rate of financial gain in 14 years. (9 News)

• Nvidia (NVDA.O), opens new tab short sellers have raked in nearly $5 billion in paper profits from the AI chip designer's sharp selloff over the past three sessions, according to data analytics firm Ortex Technologies. (RT)

News Summary

• WikiLeaks’ Julian Assange pleads guilty in deal with US that secures his freedom, ends legal fight. (Herald)

• Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston has rebuked a Hamilton City councillor for comments described as ableist slurs in an expletive-laden rant to a neighbouring council. (RNZ)

• New Zealand First leader Winston Peters has responded to questions about his approach to the Covid-19 inquiry with verbal attacks on the commissioners, academics and the media. (RNZ)

• Highly respected rugby referee and father one of the three dead fishermen. (Stuff)

• Prosecutors reject Trump’s bid to toss documents case due to ‘haphazard storage’. (Guardian)

• German car making giant Volkswagen (VW) says it will invest up to $5bn (£3.94bn) in Tesla rival Rivian. (BBC)

• Qatari telecoms provider Ooredoo told CNBC Wednesday that its new tie-up with Nvidia is compliant of all U.S. regulations and will still allow it to have access to the latest technology. (CNBC)

• Singapore has seized S$6 billion ($4.4 billion) linked to criminal and money laundering activities over the past five years, of which about half of these illicit assets were from last year’s record scandal. (BBG)

Deal Flow

Investments / M&A

• Boston-headquartered Advent International, which enthralled local newspapers with its $1.75 billion acquisition of iconic Aussie fashion brand Zimmermann last year, wants a bigger slice of the deal scene in Australia and New Zealand. (AFR)

• Banks advising South Korean automaker Hyundai on its India IPO are set to make as much as $40 million in fees, three sources said, a windfall in a market where banks typically struggle to make money given cost-conscious clients and fewer big deals. (RT)

Equity Raises

• Vista Equity Partners-backed automotive data and software services provider Solera is set to seek a valuation of about $10 billion to $13 billion in its planned initial public offering. (BBG)

Debt

• China Merchants Group Ltd. bought a 40% stake in the fiber assets of HKT Trust & HK Ltd., a unit of Hong Kong telecom group PCCW Ltd. (BBG)

Daily Picks

• Ardie Savea has made it clear he is firmly behind Scott Barrett as the new captain of the All Blacks, despite missing the job himself. (Herald)

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