ONEOK is acquiring Brazos Midstream's Permian Midland assets for $4.4 billion, funded through a $9 billion minority equity investment from Apollo. The deal will double ONEOK's processing capacity in the Midland Basin, enable $5 billion in debt repayment, and position the company to accelerate dividend growth while maintaining its 30+ year dividend stability record.

Nvidia surged 7% after delivering blockbuster Q2 earnings with $96.22B revenue (106% YoY growth) and raising FY28 guidance to ~70% growth. The Vera Rubin platform is ramping ahead of schedule with orders from all major hyperscalers. However, gross margins are expected to compress from 75% to 71-72% due to rising memory costs, and the company's massive capital commitments warrant monitoring.

Nvidia has partnered with six major financial institutions (BlackRock, Blackstone, KKR, Apollo Global Management, Brookfield, and Goldman Sachs) to create a $500 billion AI infrastructure financing plan. The deal aims to securitize AI compute assets and diversify Nvidia's customer base beyond hyperscalers. While the plan resembles financial engineering that could amplify an AI slowdown, it positions Nvidia as a critical ecosystem provider and enables recurring revenue streams through inferencing-as-a-service.

Bank of America downgraded Broadcom's debt over concerns about a new $370 billion AI financing platform the company created with Apollo Global Management and Blackstone. However, the $370 billion represents a modeled ceiling on future hypothetical deals, not actual debt. Broadcom has currently committed only $29 billion on the first transaction, with potential losses capped at that amount. The company's strong earnings growth (88% YoY) provides cushion against downside risks.

CoreWeave's business model challenges the bear case that older GPUs become obsolete quickly. The company secured a multi-year renewal on 2020-era Nvidia A100 chips extending through 2029, demonstrating that older hardware can generate profitable revenue in subsequent contracts after initial debt is paid down. Debt markets are increasingly pricing in this residual value, with CoreWeave's new $2.6 billion facility having a longer maturity than underlying customer contracts, signaling lender confidence in GPU longevity.

Intel completed a $20-23 billion equity offering to fund semiconductor fab expansion and potentially acquire stakes from partners like Brookfield Infrastructure. The capital raise signals accelerated AI demand and successful foundry operations, with potential shareholder benefits if Intel buys out existing partners' stakes in its fabs.

Nvidia partnered with major Wall Street firms (Apollo, BlackRock, Blackstone, Brookfield, Goldman Sachs, KKR) to create compute financing platforms targeting $500 billion in AI data center funding. While the deal aims to accelerate AI infrastructure buildout, the author expresses skepticism about its sustainability, noting that hyperscalers are increasingly relying on debt markets and questioning whether GPUs' shorter lifespan makes them viable collateral compared to traditional assets like power plants.

Athene Holding Ltd. announced the sale of $1 billion in 6.150% senior notes due 2036, with proceeds intended for general corporate purposes and capital contributions to insurance subsidiaries to support organic growth. The offering is expected to close on August 7, 2026.

Apollo Global Management announced that its 6.75% Series A Mandatory Convertible Preferred Stock will automatically convert into common stock on July 31, 2026, at a conversion rate of 0.5074 shares per preferred share. Preferred stockholders will receive a final quarterly dividend of $0.8438 per share on the conversion date.

Apollo Global Management has made a £5.7 billion ($7.7 billion) cash offer to acquire easyJet, viewing the airline as undervalued despite sector headwinds from rising fuel costs and geopolitical disruptions. The bid has triggered a 46% rally in easyJet shares and signals that private equity sees cyclical pricing inefficiencies rather than terminal decline in European budget aviation. Apollo plans to expand ancillary revenues and the package holiday division to improve margins. The deal faces an August 7, 2026 regulatory deadline and must navigate EU foreign ownership restrictions.

Private credit investments are expected to become available in 401(k) plans, opening a massive $14 trillion market opportunity. While private credit offers higher returns, it carries significant risks including illiquidity and interest rate sensitivity. Alternative asset managers like Blackstone, Apollo Global Management, and KKR are well-positioned to capitalize on this expansion without investors needing to directly buy private credit funds.

IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva warned policymakers that AI's job displacement risks must not be ignored, comparing the situation to globalization's uneven impact. While some economists argue AI is creating jobs in infrastructure and specialized roles, concerns persist about potential disruption to 60% of jobs in advanced economies and 40% globally, with younger and middle-class workers facing greatest risk.