Your morning briefing, the business news you need in just 15 minutes.

On today's podcast:

(1) The current environment for large mergers and acquisitions is quite “constructive” for 2026 and 2027, particularly in the US, according to the chief executive officer of Goldman Sachs

(2) The global stock rally hit a speed bump as uncertainty over the Federal Reserve’s policy outlook and earnings from Palantir Technologies Inc. made investors more cautious.

(3) Alphabet sold $17.5 billion of bonds in the US, after issuing €6.5 billion ($7.48 billion) of notes in Europe, adding to a wave of borrowing from technology companies as they invest aggressively in artificial intelligence.

(4) Prime Minister Keir Starmer warned that his government will make “tough but fair decisions” in what’s expected to be a tax-raising budget later this month.

(5) Zohran Mamdani’s lead heading into the New York mayoral election has withstood a furious push from Republicans, establishment Democrats and a coalition of Wall Street dealmakers, leaving Democrats to face a familiar question should he win on Tuesday.

Podcast Conversation: Men’s Groups (Not ‘Boys Clubs’) Quietly Emerge in Big Business

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