☕️Basic Arbitrage

Jane Street deposits over US$550m in efforts to resume India trading.

Good morning.

US hedge fund Jane Street deposited US$567 million ($866 million) of what India’s markets watchdog dubbed “illegal gains” into an escrow account to comply with a trading ban in the country.

The storied quant fund is squaring up for a fight with the Securities and Exchange Board of India after the regulator last week accused the firm of a “sinister scheme” to manipulate stocks and derivatives in the country.

Jane Street has vehemently denied wrongdoing, arguing that its exceedingly lucrative business in India (which has bagged the firm over US$4 billion in profits in the past two years) is merely the pursuit of “basic index arbitrage,” the FT reports.

The deposit is a precursor to lifting the trading ban, with the request from Jane Street still under consideration.

ASX as at market close. Commodities and crypto in USD.

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Market movers

Shares in Macquarie Technology rose almost 10% after its data centre unit secured a $240m land option in Sydney for a future 150MW campus build, with construction expected in a few years.

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The quick sync

  • Bank of America’s Nick Stenner, one of the few to correctly predict the RBA’s July hold, sees slower rate cuts ahead as inflation and labour data justify caution. (Capital Brief)

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Trading floor

M&A

  • Abacus grants due diligence after $2.2b improved takeover offer from Ki and Public Storage. (Capital Brief)

  • Humm board delays due diligence access on Abercrombie’s $286m bid. (AFR)

  • Kiwibank seeks a NZ buyer and $500m boost ahead of possible IPO. (The Australian)

  • Macquarie signs $240m land deal for new 150MW Sydney data centre campus. (Capital Brief)

  • Network 10 and Sky News sign new deal to extend regional broadcasts. (Capital Brief)

  • Bidding for Keyton has been delayed, with buyers including Scape and major investors eyeing a potential full sale if the offer is strong. (The Australian)

  • Riparian Capital Partners wins $75m superannuation mandate from Brighter Super. (AFR)

  • Ramelius-Spartan merger wins shareholder approval, leading gold rally on tariff-driven demand. (Capital Brief)

  • General Atlantic seeks $1b sale of NDIS care platform Mable. (AFR)

  • Scalare to buy Tank Stream Labs for $5.5m, plans capital raise to fund growth. (Capital Brief)

  • Kraft Heinz may revisit selling its Australia–NZ unit as it plans to split its global operations. (The Australian)

  • Adriatic shareholders to vote on US$1.25b Dundee takeover on 13 August. (Capital Brief)

  • Padua buys Wealth Data after $7m raise from Acorn. (AFR)

Capital Markets

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  • City Chic returns to profit but misses full-year targets due to US struggles. (AFR)

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  • Investment banking is set to extend its worst run in over a decade. (FT)

VC

  • Startup dealmaking hits $2.9b in 2025 H1, nearly topping all of 2024. (AFR)

People moves

  • Nine begins Stan hiring spree ahead of EPL launch, eyes former Optus Sport exec. (Capital Brief)

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☝️ Know about a deal or people move we don’t? Hit reply.

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The watercooler