Pfizer Nears $7.3B Deal, Buffett Exits BYD, Ericsson Wins Vodafone Contract

Dagens Industri reports that a cautious stock market opening is anticipated on Monday, influenced by significant corporate and political developments. In the pharmaceutical sector, American giant Pfizer is reportedly nearing a $7.3 billion acquisition of obesity specialist Metsera. Anonymous sources cited by the Financial Times suggest an official announcement could occur as early as Monday. Further significant investment news involves Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway divesting its entire remaining stake in Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer BYD. CNBC reported this sale led to a decline in BYD's stock on the Hong Kong exchange. Separately, the EQT fund BPEA Private Equity Fund VI announced its sale of shares in Canadian company Telus Digital for $250 million, following a bid from its parent company, Telus. Swedish telecom company Ericsson is experiencing mixed developments. While the company has secured an eight-year agreement with British operator Vodafone Three, valued at approximately 12.5 billion SEK, Nordea bank has flagged potential risks for Ericsson's third-quarter report. Nordea suggests that consensus sales estimates for the Networks division may be overly optimistic. Analyst updates include SEB raising its price target for Investor, while price targets for Hemnet and AAK have been lowered. On the political front, Donald Trump's decision to implement a $100,000 fee for new H-1B visas is projected to cost American employers approximately $14 billion annually, according to the Financial Times. This, along with rising U.S. interest rates and evolving U.S.-India relations, is contributing to market uncertainty.